Solitary hemangioma of the small bowel disclosed by wireless capsule endoscopy

Abstract

A nine-year-old child presented with melena and anemia. She had similar symptoms five months earlier and had undergone an extensive workup with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy, both normal and 99m-Tc-RBC-scintigraphy which was positive in the right lower quadrant. This time, capsule endoscopy was performed and disclosed an hemangioma with a dark spot suggesting recent bleeding in the ileum. The lesion was resected. Pathological examination revealed a transmural cavernous hemangioma. Small bowel hemangioma is a rare disease. Its diagnosis is extremely difficult and is usually obtained during surgery. Capsule endoscopy is an endoscopic technique that can improve preoperative diagnosis, as reported in the present case.