title: Small bowel angiodysplasia associated with von Willebrand's disease: report of a case.
abstract: The association between angiodysplasia (AD) and von Willebrand's disease (vWD) was first described by Quick in 1967. The clinical course of patients with vWD and AD is characterized by multiple admissions to hospital for gastrointestinal bleeding, necessitating transfusions of packed red cells, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor concentrates. The therapeutic management of these patients is difficult. Both medical and endoscopic techniques have been tried, but no treatment modality has been completely successful. We describe the clinical course of a patient affected by vWD, who suffered repeated massive gastrointestinal bleeding caused by small bowel AD. Intestinal resection was the only effective treatment, resulting in complete remission of the gastrointestinal bleeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Oncologic Science, Division of General Surgery, University of Palermo, Via Autonomia Siciliana 70, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosalia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Piero L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Almasio
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buscemi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tripodo
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Vita
mesh_terms: D016888:Angiodysplasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000150:complications*