title: Gastrointestinal angiodysplasia in chronic renal failure.
abstract: Gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage is a frequent and sometimes life-threatening complication of end-stage renal failure. Angiodysplasia (AD), vascular malformation, is the most common cause of recurrent lower-intestinal hemorrhage in patients with renal failure. We report four chronic hemodialysis patients with AD. All patients presented with severe anemia requiring transfusion. GI hemorrhage ceased spontaneously in three cases and after treatment with argon plasma coagulation in another. Diagnosis of AD is usually challenging, since its cause is still unknown, and its clinical presentation is variable. Lesions are multiple in 40-75% of cases, often located in the stomach and duodenum but can affect the colon and the jejunum. Diagnosis is improved by endoscopy which has a much higher sensitivity compared to angiography. Capsular endoscopy may reveal the hemorrhage site in the small intestine when regular endoscopy fails, and therapeutic intervention usually include argon plasma coagulation.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia. hayet.kaarout@rns.tn
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kaaroud
authors: L Ben
authors: LB
authors: Fatma
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Beji
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Boubaker
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Hedri
authors: F Ben
authors: FB
authors: Hamida
authors: F
authors: F
authors: El Younsi
authors: T Ben
authors: TB
authors: Abdallah
authors: H Ben
authors: HB
authors: Maiz
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kheder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016888:Angiodysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D020252:Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence