Etiology Of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Research Articles

The Incidence and Etiology of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients Supported by the HeartMate II Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

The Incidence and Etiology of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients Supported by the HeartMate II Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

Gastrointestinal Plasmacytoma Presenting as Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Clinical manifestations of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement in multiple myeloma (MM) are uncommon. We report a case of plasmacytoma presenting as upper GI bleeding in a patient with a known diagnosis of MM. Gastrointestinal bleeding persists despite aggressive medical and endoscopic treatment. The aim of our report is to heighten the awareness of plasmacytoma as an etiology of GI bleeding in patients with MM. Abnormal hemostasis, specifically the imbalance in function of all major components of the coagulation cascade, increasing bleeding risk in patients with MM, is also discussed.

Vena portae obstruction as a cause of portal hypertension in a child with Turner syndrome

Cardiovascular and renal malformations are well-known in Turner syndrome. However, gastrointestinal bleeding is less frequent. The possible etiologies of gastrointestinal bleeding in Turner syndrome are intestinal teleangiectasia, inflammatory bowel disease and portal hypertension. The authors report a 3-year-old girl with Turner syndrome who presented with severe gastrointestinal bleeding requiring transfusion. The radiological examination indicated prehepatic portal hypertension as a reason for haematochezia. The liver biopsy demonstrated the anomaly of intrahepatic arteries and veins. In this report we describe a case of congenital portal vein obstruction and we reviewed liver abnormalities associated with Turner syndrome and causes of obstruction of vena portae in childhood.

Indications and results of endoscopic examinations in intensive care units

The aim of the study was to analyze retrospectively all endoscopies performed on 3 intensive care units in a tertiary referral center with more than thousand beds during a period of ten years. The study evaluates all endoscopies with regard to indication and findings. In the years 1989-1998 a total of 326 endoscopic examinations was performed, most of them were done as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (88%). In more than 87% the indication was a suspected gastrointestinal bleeding. The most frequent findings consisted in ulcers of the stomach or duodenum and esophageal varices, then followed by Mallory-Weiss-lesions, esophagitis and erosive gastritis. The etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding was similar to that of non intensive care patients. Specific causes of bleeding such as esophagitis caused by nasogastric tubes were only found in 3% of all bleedings. The numbers of endoscopies on the 3 intensive care units were increasing during the ten year period, however the numbers of the patients treated on the intensive care units were also increasing, but the increase of endoscopies was not always parallel to the rising number of intensive care patients.

The Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Scan: An Aid in the Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Twenty pediatric patients presenting primarily with unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding were evaluated with sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m imaging. Three patients had normal barium enemas and scans consistent with Meckel's diverticulum. These three patients and three additional patients with normal scans underwent surgical exploration. Meckel's diverticula containing gastric mucosa were found in all three patients with positive scans. No diverticula were found in the three patients with normal scans. Four other patients had scans that were considered abnormal but not felt to represent Meckel's diverticula. In one of these patients a radiographic gastrointestinent, a nonspecific terminal ilial ulcer without gastric mucosa was found at surgery. The two other patients had normal radiographic gastrointestinal studies and no further evaluation was carried out. The etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding in pediatric patients is frequently unexplained even after thorough evaluation including celiotomy. The sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m scan is a safe, simple, non-invasive procedure that can demonstrate Meckel's diverticula with greater certainty than the barium enema and can suggest suspicious areas that can then be evaluated by more definitive procedures.

Gastrointestinal Bleeding Secondary to Pancreatitis

<h3>To the Editor:—</h3> Occasionally patients with the diagnosis of pancreatitis have guaiac positive reaction in stool specimens and usually anemia which in spite of thorough investigation defies accurate diagnosis. The case presented below typifies such a patient, but the etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding was eventually determined. In September 1964, A 48-year-old man, had the onset of stabbing epigastric pain on the left side which radiated to the lower left side of the posterior part of the chest. Intense pain lasted for 30 to 60 minutes with mild discomfort lasting as long as 24 hours. The attacks were precipitated by fatty foods and were preceded by nausea. In June 1965, he was admitted to the local hospital for this pain. A thorough examination which included an x-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract, a barium sulfate enema examination, a cholecystogram, and a pyelogram after intravenous injection of a contrast medium did