Intestinal bleeding due to venous vascular malformation of difficult diagnosis in a pediatric case

Abstract

Background: acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a major medical emergency worldwide and responsible for a high number of annual hospital admissions. Intestinal vascular malformations, especially those of the right colon, are frequent causes of gastrointestinal bleeding in older adults, but are rare in pediatrics. Objective: to show intestinal venous malformation as a rare cause of recurrent digestive hemorrhage in the child. Case report: a six-year-old male, white-race school boy from a rural area of difficult access in another province, with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding in the form of melaena and hematoquecia since the first year of age. It is referred at the age of five years to the Gastroenterology services of this province with several endoscopic studies that did not reveal the cause. It is admitted to the pediatric hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions: in the presence of acute digestive bleeding in children, intestinal vascular malformation should be considered, despite its infrequency in pediatric ages. Its identification and treatment are a challenge for the medical assistance team. DeCS: GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE/therapy; GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE/diagnosis; VASCULAR MALFORMATION/etiology; VASCULAR MALFORMATION/therapy; PEDIATRICS.