Massive hemorrhage from solitary rectal ulcer: toward a definitive treatment

Two recent cases of massive bleeding from a solitary rectal ulcer which occurred in patients at The Mount Sinai Hospital are presented. This unusual complication of a poorly understood condition has been treated in the past by a variety of medical and surgical approaches; no consensus has been reached. In both cases an abdominal rectosigmoid resection was ultimately performed after local control and diversion were unsuccessful. A review of the literature and a discussion of this new approach are presented.