Gastrointestinal telangiectasia: a study by EGD, colonoscopy, and capsule endoscopy in 75 patients.
BACKGROUND
The distribution of lesions in the gastrointestinal tract in patients with sporadic telangiectasia is at present unknown.


METHODS
75 patients with sporadic telangiectasia underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), capsule endoscopy, and colonoscopy. Endoscopic diagnosis of telangiectasia and gastrointestinal bleeding were required for enrollment in the study. Hemorrhagic diathesis, co-morbidity, number of blood transfusions, and subsequent management were also noted.


RESULTS
35 of the patients presented with gastroduodenal vascular lesions, 51 with small-bowel lesions, and 28 with colonic lesions. 67 % of patients in whom EGD found telangiectasia also presented small-bowel vascular lesions at capsule endoscopy and 43 % colonic lesions at colonoscopy. 54 % percent of patients with positive colonoscopy also presented gastroduodenal lesions and 48 % small-bowel lesions. Patients with known duodenal lesions were more likely to have small-bowel lesions at capsule endoscopy (odds ratio [OR] 10.19, 95 % CI 2.1 - 49.33, P = 0.003). Patients with associated diseases, such as liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, or heart valvulopathy, presented more severe disease requiring blood transfusions (OR 6.37, 95 % CI 1.39 - 29.2, P = 0.015). The number of blood transfusions correlated with the number of sites affected ( R = 0.35, P = 0.002). The detection of new lesions at capsule endoscopy allowed new treatment in 46 % of patients. Mean follow-up was 18 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Sporadic telangiectasia is a multifocal disease potentially involving the whole digestive tract. Patients with duodenal telangiectasia show a higher risk of jejunal or ileal lesions. Capsule endoscopy is a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of such small-bowel vascular lesions, indicating a more specific prognosis and treatment strategy.
Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, University of Padova, Italy. linopolese@hotmail.com
L
L
Polese
R
R
D'Incà
I
I
Angriman
M
M
Scarpa
D
D
Pagano
C
C
Ruffolo
F
F
Lamboglia
G C
GC
Sturniolo
D F
DF
D'Amico
L
L
Norberto
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy