Cavernous haemangioma of the duodenum with acute massive bleeding in the ascending portion: a case report

Duodenal cavernous haemangiomas are rare, benign disorders, and massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a rare clinical condition. The present case report describes a 50-year-old male patient who presented with severe, ongoing haematochezia. A peripheral blood smear at the time of admission showed...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jinzhong Duanmu, Yahang Liang, Zhixiang Huang, Yongming Tan, Taiyuan Li, Xiong Lei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-09-01
Series:Journal of International Medical Research
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605211010091
Description
Summary:Duodenal cavernous haemangiomas are rare, benign disorders, and massive gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a rare clinical condition. The present case report describes a 50-year-old male patient who presented with severe, ongoing haematochezia. A peripheral blood smear at the time of admission showed significant anaemia, and haemoglobin level was 52 g/l (normal range, 120–175 g/l). Albumin level was also low at 28 g/l (normal range, 40–55 g/l). Standard computed tomography (CT) showed mural thickening and relative lumen stenosis in the ascending (fourth) portion of the duodenum. Contrast-enhanced CT using hypotonic solution revealed the lesions to be hypervascular haemangiomas. Laparotomy and segmental duodenum resection were performed, and the first jejunal limb was anastomosed using a side-to-end technique. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of cavernous haemangioma. The patient showed marked improvement during follow-up. The present case findings emphasize that duodenal haemangioma is possible without a history of chronic anaemia, and should remain a consideration in differential diagnosis for patients presenting with massive GI bleeding. CT is useful for preoperative diagnosis of massive bleeding, and surgery with segmental resection is usually curative.
ISSN:1473-2300