The value of RI scintigraphy and angiography in small intestinal bleeding--report of eight cases.

We retrospectively reviewed eight cases of small intestinal bleeding and assessed the value of RI scintigraphy and angiography in diagnosing the bleeding site. The patients' average age was 56.2 years. Chief complaints was melena of variable degree. In most cases neither upper endoscopy nor colonoscopy was diagnostic. RI scintigraphy (Tc-99 labeled HSA) showed 75% of positive rate whereas angiography showed 66.7% (4/6) of positive rate. All four cases of leiomyosarcoma and leiomyoma demonstrated hypervascular stain and/or extra-vasation in angiography whereas RI scintigraphy failed to detect active GI bleeding in 2 of the 4 cases. Therefore angiography was considered useful for the detection of bleeding from leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma which are often hypervascular. Scintigraphy is thought of most value in the demonstration of small amount of bleeding with minimum vascular abnormality.