RESUMO
Objective To characterize the clinical features and outcome of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with Crohn's disease.Methods The clinical data form 13 patients Who identified as Crohn's disease accompanied by massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage between 1998 and 2007 were retrospectively analyzed.Results The ratio of men to women was 3.3 : 1.Bleeding was the first symptom of disease in foor patients.The lesion was involved in small howel in 10 cases.The origin of bleeding was identified in 8 cases.Four patients received surgical operation and none of them died,while 9 patients received medical treatment and 3 of them died.Totally 10 patients were followed up for 6 to 94 months.Eight patients had recurrent massive hemorrhage,and two of them subsequently required surgery.One patient died after surgery.All patients who had recurrent massive bleeding and still survival were characterized by recurrent bleeding as only or major clinical feature,and they were all with small bowel involvement.Conclusions Diagnostic and therapeutic approach of massive lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage in Crohn's disease is very challenging.It is possible that there exists a particular phenotype of Crohn's disease that presents a tendency of bleeding recurrence,whose bleeding probably related to small bowel lesions.