1. UNUSUAL CAUSE OF OCCULT SMALL-BOWEL BLEEDING.
- Author
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Singeap, Ana-Maria, Sfarti, Catalin, Vlad, Nutu, Stanciu, Carol, and Trifan, Anca
- Subjects
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IRON deficiency anemia , *SMALL intestine , *SYMPTOMS , *OCCULTISM , *CARDIOVASCULAR diseases , *HEART failure - Abstract
Introduction. Suspected small-bowel bleeding may be overt or occult. In the absence of clinically obvious hemorrhagic manifestations, the anemic syndrome secondary to chronic occult loss is often the alarm signal. We present the case of a patient with severe iron deficiency anemia, diagnosed by small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) with hemorrhagic ileal polyp, with further succesfull surgical solution. Clinical presentation. 74-year-old male patient with significant associated cardiovascular diseases - arterial hypertension, permanent atrial fibrillation, heart failure NYHA class III, undergoing oral anticoagulant therapy. The worsening of the cardiac symptoms lead to the detection of a severe iron deficiency anemia (Hb 6.4/dL), with no overt bleeding. Consequently, the exploration of the gastrointestinal tract was decided. After negative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, and abdominal CT examination, SBCE was performed. An irregular sessile protruding lesion, developped on less than a quarter of the circumference, with active bleeding, in the distal third of the small intestine, was seen. Consequently, the surgeon performed a cuneiform ileal resection, with anatomo-pathological result of ulcerated hyperplastic polyp. The immediate and long-term postoperative evolution was favorable, both clinically and biologically, with the amelioration and then remission of the anemia. Conclusions. Infrequent benign tumors, with extremely rare sporadic occurrence, ileal hyperplastic polyps may present with occult hemorrhage as complication, probably having as risk factor the associated anticoagulant treatment, with occult hemorrhage, responsible for severe secondary iron deficiency anemic syndrome. Applying the investigational algorithm for unexplained iron deficiency anemia allows the etiological diagnosis and the application of the curative therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023