Crohn's disease and massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding: angiographic appearance and two case reports

Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding is described in two patients with Crohn's disease. In case 1, extravasation of contrast material from the ileal branch of the ileocolic artery was seen during selective angiography. In case 2, results of an in vitro labeled 99Tc pyrophosphate red blood cell scan localized bleeding to the ileum. In both cases, medical management was unsuccessful, and surgical resection of the affected bowel was required to stop the bleeding. Angiographic appearance of Crohn's disease is discussed, and a review of the literature of this unusual feature of Crohn's disease is presented.