Arteriovenous malformation of the jejunum detected by arterial-phase enhanced helical CT, a case report

Abstract

This is a report on a case of arteriovenous malformation of the jejunum, which is a relatively rare occurrence that can be detected by helical computed tomography (helical CT). The patient was a 63-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital because of a tarry stool. He developed hypotension as a result of losing a large amount of bright-red blood through rectal bleeding and was given fluids and blood transfusions. Subsequently, a helical CT scan was performed at 10-mm slice thickness. A small high-density area in the jejunum was identified on the arterial phase, which was scanned 30 sec after an intravenous infusion of 100 mL of iopamidol at a rate 2.5 mL/sec. An emergency operation, based on the diagnosis of bleeding from the jejunum, was performed because the patient had developed hypotension once again. A small, elevated lesion, which coincided with the high-density area detected by helical CT, was found in the jejunum. A segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis were done. The pathological diagnosis revealed an arteriovenous malformation of the jejunum. In conclusion, helical CT may be an effective noninvasive method for detecting the cause and site of gastrointestinal bleeding.