Angiodysplasia

Excerpt

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most frequent site in the body for several types of abnormal blood vessels, which represent irregularities in the normal form of the affected arteries, veins, or capillaries. Vascular abnormalities can be benign or malignant such as hemangiomas or angiosarcomas, respectively. Also, they can be congenital, such as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia or mostly acquired, such as angiodysplasia. Angiodysplasia is an abnormal, tortuous, dilated small blood vessel in the mucosal and submucosal layers of the GI tract. The abnormal vessels consist of endothelium with scant or no smooth muscle. Angiodysplasia is the most frequent etiology of small bowel bleeding or formerly called obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) in patients more than 60 years of age. Angiodysplasia is not related to any hereditary, skin, or systemic disease and can affect any part of the GI tract.