title: Gastrointestinal polypoid lesions: a poorly known endoscopic feature of portal hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a poorly known endoscopic entity associated with portal hypertension, characterized by polypoid lesions either in the stomach or small intestine of patients with cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2003 and 2012, patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension underwent endoscopic workup of portal hypertension in our endoscopy unit. The clinical expression, endoscopic features of these lesions, and their pathological characteristics are described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1538 patients were included, among which 14 (0.9%) presented polypoid lesions; these patients had evidence of portal hypertension and had dilated capillaries in the lamina propria. Four patients presented with severe anaemia or melaena and required treatment. Propranolol was administered to three patients, and one patient needed a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in order to control bleeding. For asymptomatic patients in whom polypoid lesions were resected, no recurrence of lesions was observed during follow-up gastroscopy (median 36 months, range 7-85 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Portal hypertension-associated gastric or small intestine polypoid lesions may be associated with a significant risk of bleeding and are responsive to adequate treatment of portal hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lemmers
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evrard
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Demetter
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gontran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Verset
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Andre Van
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Gossum
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Devière
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Olivier Le
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Moine
keywords: Anaemia; capsule endoscopy; cirrhosis; polyps; small bowel