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Colonic varices demonstrated by technetium-99m red cell scintigraphy.
Clinical Nuclear Medicine
|March 1, 1987
Summary
Colonic varices, a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding, were incidentally found in a patient with pancreatic cancer. Bleeding was actually from gastric hemangiomas, not the varices.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Colonic varices are uncommon vascular anomalies in the colon.
- They are typically linked to portal hypertension and present with severe gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Diagnosis often relies on imaging and endoscopic evaluation.
Observation:
- A case study involving a patient with a pancreatic tumor.
- Incidental discovery of colonic varicosities during investigation.
- The patient presented with acute gastrointestinal bleeding.
Findings:
- The observed gastrointestinal bleeding was attributed to two small, unrelated gastric hemangiomas.
- Colonic varices were present but not the source of hemorrhage.
- Scintigraphic features of the condition were analyzed and described.
Implications:
- Highlights the importance of accurate diagnosis in gastrointestinal bleeding, differentiating variceal sources from other pathologies.
- Underscores that colonic varices may be an incidental finding unrelated to active bleeding.
- Emphasizes the role of diagnostic imaging, including scintigraphy, in evaluating complex cases.