Watermelon colon: is there an association with alcohol?
BACKGROUND
Watermelon colon, or rectal vascular ectasia of the colon, is a very rare vascular lesion.


METHODS
A 56-year-old male heavy drinker was admitted to hospital with hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed linear, watermelon-like vascular stripes throughout the entire colon. Rectal biopsies confirmed the vascular nature of these lesions, showing dilated and trombosed capillaries in the lamina propria. He had neither cirrhosis nor portal hypertension. The watermelon-like lesions regressed spontaneously following the cessation of alcohol intake.


CONCLUSIONS
This observation suggests that this condition can be triggered by alcohol.
Altintas
Engin
E
Department of Gastroenterology, Mersin University, School of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. enginaltintas@mersin.edu.tr
Sezgin
Orhan
O
Cinel
Leyla
L
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology