Heater Probe Treatment of Angiodysplasia in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

Angiodysplasia has been recognized as the source of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Over a 37-month period, we treated 13 patients with angiodysplastic bleeding using an Olympus video endoscope and a heater probe. The typical endoscopic appearance of angiodysplasia was seen as a reddish, discrete, flat or slightly elevated lesion with a diameter of 1-4mm. There were 8 females and 5 males ranging in age from 7 to 72 years old (mean age 49.8 years old). Two of them were uremic cases on maintenance hemodialysis. A total of 25 to 140 joules were applied to the lesions. After the heater probe was applied, an ulcelr was noted on the 7th day and healed at first month during endoscopic follow-up. Recurrent bleeding occurred in one case after 3 months and was retreated with heater probe. All patients were successfully treated by endoscopic heater probe without complication. None of them needed surgical intervention to control the bleeding. We therefore conclude that heater probe thermocoagulation is an effective, safe and convenient therapeutic method for the treatment of angiodysplastic bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.