Superselective Embolization of Colonic Bleeding

Lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage is less common than upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage but in my hospital more commonly referred to interventional radiologists because of the proficiency of upper endoscopy to diagnose and treat upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients with severe bleeding who are hemodynamically stable usually undergo screening with tagged red blood cell scanning. In the event of a positive study, urgent mesenteric angiography is performed, usually within 1 hour of the nuclear medicine study. Angiography is performed with an intention to treat.

SUGGESTED READINGS

• 1 Darcy M. Treatment of lower gastrointestinal bleeding: vasopressin infusion versus embolization.  J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2003;  14 535-543
• 2 Funaki B. Microcatheter embolization of lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage: an old idea whose time has come.  Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2004;  27 591-599