[The endoscopic Nd-YAG laser treatment of the "watermelon stomach"]

The watermelon stomach is a vascular malformation at the gastric antrum which is responsible for chronic bleeding. We report here nine patients (5 females and 4 males) referred to our Department from December 1990 to May 1995 with ferropenic anemia resulting from chronic gastrointestinal bleeding and with the diagnosis of watermelon stomach. The mean age at presentation was 52 years (range, 29-80). Seven patients required periodic blood transfusions and the remaining patients therapy with iron compound. All patients were treated with photocoagulation of antral lesions with Nd-YAG laser applied endoscopically. In all patients an almost complete disappearance of endoscopic lesions was achieved and during the 19-month follow-up period (range, 2-54) no patient required blood transfusions or iron therapy. No secondary complications from therapy were noted.