Lower intestinal bleeding secondary to colonic vascular ectasia.

Because multiple lesions, including colonic malignancies, vascular lesions of the colon, and diverticuli may coexist, identifying the cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in an elderly patient can be difficult. A case that demonstrates this clinical problem is reported. Right-sided colonic vascular ectasia eventually was detected angiographically and was treated successfully with hemicolectomy. Colonic vascular ectasia is an increasingly recognized cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The pathologic findings, proposed theories of pathogenesis, and clinical association between colonic vascular ectasia and aortic stenosis are discussed.