Gastric angiodysplasia

Abstract

Gastric angiodysplasias may be more common than previously described, and should be considered when barium studies and endoscopy do not reveal the source of chronic or recurrent upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Since these lesions are generally submucosal, angiography is the ideal method to diagnose and show the extent of an angiodysplasia. Magnification angiography and gastric air insufflation aid in making the lesions more apparent and in confirming the diagnosis, but prominent early draining veins can be identified by high-quality nonmagnified selective angiography.