title: A case of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in a teenager.
abstract: In this report, we discuss a case of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) in an 18-year-old man, where oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) and colonoscopy proved inconclusive in determining a source of bleeding. On day 14 of admission, a laparoscopy was performed, identifying a mass 2 feet from the ileocaecal junction. This was thought initially to be a Meckel's diverticulum and the patient underwent a laparotomy and a small bowel resection. Surprisingly, the histology revealed a benign gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) of the ileum, rare in such a young person. Given the diagnostic delay, we propose a simple algorithm for the diagnostic management of a teenager presenting with a significant ongoing gastrointestinal bleed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Lister Hospital, Stevenage, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abbassi-Ghadi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bartlam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holme
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System / Q000379:methods; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007078:Ileal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008467:Meckel Diverticulum / Q000150:complications