title: An unusual cause of rectal bleeding and intestinal obstruction in a child with peripheral vascular malformations.
abstract: Vascular malformations of the small bowel are rare yet important causes of abdominal pain and rectal bleeding in children. This report describes a 6-year-old girl with a known history of musculoskeletal vascular anomalies who presented with recurrent abdominal pain and rectal bleeding after seemingly minor trauma. A diagnosis of enteric vascular malformation was established, and the patient was treated by a combined laparoscopic and open approach. This case highlights the fact that in the child with known vascular anomalies who presents with sudden gastrointestinal bleeding and intestinal obstruction, the diagnosis of gastrointestinal vascular anomaly should be suspected, and exploratory laparoscopy should be considered. The current management of enteric vascular anomalies is reviewed, and the differences between vascular malformations and hemangiomas are analyzed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3705 Fifth Avenue, DeSoto Wing, Floor 4A 485, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Abdulhameed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Manuel P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Meza
authors.forename: Kevin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hackam
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000098:blood supply*; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*