A 69-year-old woman with persistent iron deficiency anemia.
In women, iron deficiency anemia-a result of chronic iron loss-is most common during the reproductive years because of physiologic demands such as menstrual blood losses and pregnancy. In other cases, iron deficiency anemia is generally attributed to occult gastrointestinal bleeding. Common causes of chronic gastrointestinal blood loss include erosive esophagitis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, vascular ectasias, colon adenomas, and cancers. Bleeding from the small intestine at sites beyond the duodenal bulb is uncommon. The lesions of the small intestine are responsible for approximately 4% of gastrointestinal bleeding [7]. In this report we describe a case of persistent iron deficiency anemia due to carcinoid tumor of the small intestine.
Department of Geriatrics and Metabolic Diseases, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Antonino
A
Coppola
Giuseppe
G
Izzo
Luigia
L
Mastrolorenzo
Antonio
A
Grassia
Pier Francesco
PF
Rambaldi
Franca
F
Ferraraccio
Luigi
L
Mansi
Roberto
R
Grassi
Natale
N
Di Martino
Ludovico
L
Coppola
D000368:Aged; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000150:complications; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000209:etiology; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D009780:Occult Blood