title: The role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of intestinal vascular anomalies affecting two small infants.
abstract: Two infants affected by intestinal vascular anomalies causing lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage are reported. Upper and lower gastrointestinal tract endoscopy and radionuclide scan were negative. The authors found laparoscopic exploration very useful in detecting the cause and the site of bleeding. Because the usual investigations for gastrointestinal bleeding have been proven to be time-consuming and often unreliable in small infants, the authors suggest considering laparoscopic exploration as a first-line diagnostic tool in this subset of patients. A new diagnostic algorithm for gastrointestinal bleeding in infants is proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Liver Transplant Centre, Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Largo Barozzi 1, 24100 Bergamo, Italy. danielealberti@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borsellino
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cheli
authors.forename: Aurelio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonzogni
authors.forename: Mario Leo
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brena
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Locatelli
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008643:Mesentery / Q000098:blood supply*; D012704:Serous Membrane / Q000098:blood supply; D014463:Ultrasonography