Dieulafoy's Lesions of the Rectum: A Rare Cause of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

Dieulafoy's lesions located outside of the stomach are rare occurrences. Lesions found within the colon typically present with painless, massive hematochezia (ie, greater than 5 U). If they can be accurately located, endoscopic therapy in the form of adrenaline injection, sclerotherapy or cauterization appears to have long term success. The present report details the case of a 72-year-old man who presented with massive hematochezia and who was discovered to have a Dieulafoy's lesion within the rectum. The lesion was located just distal to a previous surgical anastomosis, and was successfully treated with adrenaline and electrocautery. Colonic Dieulafoy's lesions are rare but should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of massive hematochezia, because endoscopic therapy appears to result in complete cessation of bleeding.