Angiographic Diagnosis for Various Causes of Gastrointestinal Bleeding

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the specific findings of angiography for various causes of gastrointestinal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 35 patients of gastrointestinal bleeding detected by angiography, between April 1987 and July 1993. There were 28 men and 7 women, 19 to 83 years old (mean, 47 years). Of these 35 cases of gastrointestinal bleedings, there were 12 gastric bleedings, 4 duodenal bleedings, 9 small intestinal bleeings, 6 ileocecal bleedings, and 4 large intestinal bleedings. RESULTS: Of 35 cases, we could diagnose the specific cause of bleeing in 13 patients (37%) by angiography. Of these 13 cases, there were 4 cases of gastric ulcers showing contrast pooling in ulcer crater, 5 cases of vascular malformations showing anomalous vascular mass with early dilated venous drainage, 2 cases of direct invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma showing invasion of hypervascular mass into small bowel, one case of pseudoaneurysm at gastroduodenal artery in a patient of acute pancreatitis, and one case of small intestinal lymphoma showing contrast pooling in a irregular dilated small intestinal lumen. CONCLUSION: in gastrointestinal bleeding, angiography is useful not only in detecting the bleeding site, but also for evaluating the specific causes such as gastric ulcers or vascular malformations.