Acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage originating in the small intestine

Lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage (LGIH) is generally self-limiting, and the most frequent etiologies are located at colonic level. The objective here is to analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic handling of acute LGIH when its etiology was located in the small intestine.

Between 1975 and March 2002, 12 acute cases of LGIH originating in the small intestine were admitted to our service. All consulted the hospital with acute rectorrhage, requiring a transfusion of at least 3 units of concentrated red blood cells. The mean age was 54 +/- 21 years, 58% were women, and 83% had experienced previous episodes of LGIH.

in eleven cases (92%) an urgent lower and upper endoscopy was performed without locating the source of bleeding. An arteriography was indicated in 7 patients (58%), which located the bleeding origin in 5 of them. In two cases a scintigraphy was performed, showing a Meckel's diverticulum in one patient and a normal image in another. All were operated on; in 8 cases (67%), surgery was urgent; in 9 cases, a tumor was found, and in three additional patients, a case of Meckel's diverticulum was found, with a resection being carried out for all lesions. Histology showed a leiomyoma in 7 cases, a Meckel's diverticulum in 3 cases, a leiomyoblastoma in 1, and an angioma in the remaining case. After a mean follow-up of 132 +/- 75 months, the leiomyoblastoma resulted in death, and there was a relapse in the case of angioma, which was successfully embolized with interventional radiology.

Acute LGIH originating in the small intestine should be considered a possible etiology when digestive endoscopy does not locate the source of bleeding, with arteriography being a useful diagnostic technique for bleeding localization. Surgery is the definitive treatment--it confirms the etiology and rules out the presence of malignancy.