Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  2009 Mar;38(3):171-175.

Two Cases of Rectal Vascular Ectasia in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis and Who Were Treated by Argon Plasma Coagulation

• Park W
• Kwon CI
• Song YJ
• Song HU
• Oh JH
• Ko KH
• Rim KS

Abstract

The term "vascular ectasia" is defined to include angiodysplasia, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) and telangiectasis, and these are the leading causes of acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. We describe here the first 2 Korean cases of GAVE with rectal vascular ectasia in patients with liver cirrhosis. A 70-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with hematochezia. The finding on endoscopy showed diffuse nonconfluent spots with oozing bleeding on the antrum and several vascular spots with oozing bleeding on the rectum. The lesions were successfully treated by argon plasma coagulation (APC). We report on another case of rectal vascular ectasia in a patient with liver cirrhosis. A 77-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with hematochezia. The findings on colonoscopy showed diffuse vascular spots with oozing bleeding on the rectum. The lesions were successfully treated by APC. These two patients have had no bleeding since their treatment, and they are currently being evaluated by follow-up studies at the outpatient department.

Keyword

Liver cirrhosis; Argon plasma coagulation; Gastric antral vascular ectasia; Vascular ectasia

MeSH Terms

Aged
Angiodysplasia
Argon
Argon Plasma Coagulation
Carbamates
Colonoscopy
Dilatation, Pathologic
Endoscopy
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage
Humans
Liver
Liver Cirrhosis
Organometallic Compounds
Outpatients
Rectum
Telangiectasis
Argon
Carbamates
Organometallic Compounds