title: Endoscopic laser therapy of the watermelon stomach.
abstract: Endoscopic laser therapy has been used in the treatment of vascular lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The "watermelon stomach" is a pattern of vascular ectasia in the gastric antrum that results in chronic gastrointestinal blood loss and iron deficiency anemia. We have treated 7 transfusion dependent patients with a watermelon stomach using endoscopic laser therapy. Four of these patients were treated with the argon laser and 3 with the Nd:YAG laser. Patient age and prior transfusion requirements were similar in both groups. The mean number of treatments to obliterate vascular lesions and eliminate the need for transfusions was 5.75 +/- 0.89 (SEM) for the argon laser and 2.33 +/- 0.27 for the Nd:YAG laser (P < 0.05). Lesions recurred and required retreatment in 1 patient treated with the Nd:YAG laser and 3 patients treated with the argon laser (mean follow-up of 35 months). We conclude that endoscopic laser therapy with either the argon or Nd:YAG laser is an effective treatment modality for antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach). The Nd:YAG laser requires fewer treatment sessions than the argon laser to obliterate the lesions without increased risk of complications.
authors.affiliation: Utah Laser Institute, Salt Lake City.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bjorkman
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Buchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016888:Angiodysplasia / Q000601:surgery*; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000601:surgery*