Peroperative endoscopic diagnosis of small intestinal bleeding

Two patients with recurrent bleeding from vascular anomalies in the small intestine are described. In both patients intestinal angiography had shown either pathological vessels or extravasation of blood into the proximal part of jejunum, but during explorative laparotomy the source of bleeding had not been found. The diagnosis was made by performing peroperative endoscopy. After resection of the involved small bowel segment one patient with cavernous hemangioma has remained asymptomatic. In the other patient, who suffered from a combination of multiple arteriovenous malformations and a congenital platelet defect, limited surgical resection did not influence the need of blood transfusions. This investigational approach should become the method of choice in patients suspected of bleeding from the small intestine.