Familial varices of the colon and small bowel

We describe two patients, brother and sister, with identical pathology, whose only clinical presentation was recurrent massive lower digestive tract bleeding. Haemorrhage was due to a complex form of familial venous vascular malformation in the digestive tract, represented by the existence of varices of colon, small intestine and, to a lesser extent, oesophagus and gastric funcus. We have been able to study, examine and treat both patients for 9 and 3 years respectively.