Right Sided Colonic Varices: 2 Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Colonic varices (CV) are a rare cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Although approximately 90 cases of CV have been reported, mainly in bleeding patients with portal hypertension, the prevalence of (asymptomatic) CV is likely to be underestimated. Study/Results: We report two cases of portal hypertension related colonic varices and a literature review of colonic varices. These cases demonstrate the two clinical extremities: hardly any complaints versus medically refractory rectal blood loss and anemia, which ultimately needed surgical intervention. Conclusion: Colonic varices are rare and more prevalent in patients with liver cirrhosis. Especially in this group, rectal bleeding and anemia with normal upper GI investigations, should be investigated with a colonoscopy. Treatment of CV is not well established and depends on the etiology and severity of clinical presentation.