Angiodysplasia as a cause of severe hematochezia in a child with end-stage renal failure

Abstract

Angiodysplasia is a frequent cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in adults with chronic renal failure (CRF); however, there is no data about this association in children. The mechanism of this association is not known. We report a 4.5-year-old boy with CRF presenting with hematochezia due to colonic angiodysplasia. He was on hemodialysis for the previous 9 months. Treatment with argon plasma coagulation (APC) was commenced following a short course of octreotide therapy. During the 3 years of follow-up, no occult or gross bleeding occurred. This case illustrates that octreotide and APC therapy seems to be useful for arresting bleeding from angiodysplasia and prevention of recurrent bleeding in children with CRF.