Chronic bleeding caused by small bowel angiodysplasia: a problem of recognition and diagnosis

Angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract is a disorder consisting of ectasia of submucosal and mucosal vessels, which causes acute and chronic bleeding. We describe the case of a 58-year-old man with a history of recurrent lower intestinal bleeding and severe anemia. Endoscopy and X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract failed to show the source of bleeding. Selective angiography of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries revealed a vascular ectasia. The patient underwent ileo-cecal resection with remarkable improvement after surgery.