Ohira T, Hokama A, Kinjo N, Nakamoto M, Kobashigawa C, Kise Y, Yamashiro S, Kinjo F, Kuniyoshi Y, Fujita J. Detection of active bleeding from gastric antral vascular ectasia by capsule endoscopy. World J Gastrointest Endosc 2013; 5(3): 138-140 [PMID: 23515703 DOI: 10.4253/wjge.v5.i3.138]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Tetsuya Ohira, MD, Department of Endoscopy, University Hospital of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan. rb10fantasista@hotmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Article-Type of This Article
Letters To The Editor
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Tetsuya Ohira, Nagisa Kinjo, Manabu Nakamoto, Chiharu Kobashigawa, Fukunori Kinjo, Department of Endoscopy, University Hospital of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan
Akira Hokama, Jiro Fujita, Department of Infectious, Respiratory and Digestive Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan
Yuya Kise, Satoshi Yamashiro, Yukio Kuniyoshi, Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan
Author contributions: Ohira T wrote the manuscript; Ohira T, Hokama A, Kinjo N, Nakamoto M, Kobashigawa C, Kise Y and Yamashiro S treated the patient; Kinjo F, Kuniyoshi Y and Fujita J supervised the treatment of the patient and preparation of the manuscript; all authors revised the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Tetsuya Ohira, MD, Department of Endoscopy, University Hospital of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0125, Japan. rb10fantasista@hotmail.com
Telephone: +81-98-8951144 Fax: +81-98-8951414
Received: June 18, 2012 Revised: November 8, 2012 Accepted: January 5, 2013 Published online: March 16, 2013 Processing time: 183 Days and 23.7 Hours
Abstract
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) has been recognized as one of the important causes of occult and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. The diagnosis is typically made based on the characteristic endoscopic features, including longitudinal row of flat, reddish stripes radiating from the pylorus into the antrum that resemble the stripes on a watermelon. These appearances, however, can easily be misinterpreted as moderate to severe gastritis. Although it is believed that capsule endoscopy (CE) is not helpful for the study of the stomach with its large lumen, GAVE can be more likely to be detected at CE rather than conventional endoscopy. CE can be regarded as “physiologic” endoscopy, without the need for gastric inflation and subsequent compression of the vasculature. The blood flow of the ecstatic vessels may be diminished in an inflated stomach. Therefore, GAVE may be prominent in CE. We herein describe a case of active bleeding from GAVE detected by CE and would like to emphasize a possibility that CE can improve diagnostic yields for GAVE.
