Angiodysplasia of the gastrointestinal tract: report of 5 cases and review of the literature.

With the application of more refined examinations, angiodysplasia is now being recognized as a common cause of bleeding in patients suffering from lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The diagnosis can be made by angiography or occasionally by colonofiberscopy. Angiography allows one to make this diagnosis even after bleeding has ceased. The lesions may not be clinically evident at the time of surgery, and the diagnosis must be made preoperatively to allow for proper treatment. A right hemicolectomy is the treatment of choice since these lesions are frequently multiple and seldom, if ever, occur distal to the proximal transverse colon. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and salient features of these lesions are described. The management of 5 patients is discussed.