Case Report
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World J Clin Cases. Apr 16, 2013; 1(1): 25-27
Published online Apr 16, 2013. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v1.i1.25
Gastric hyperplastic polyps causing upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a young adult
Brian J Secemsky, Kenika R Robinson, Kumar Krishnan, Kristina A Matkowskyj, Barbara H Jung
Brian J Secemsky, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
Kenika R Robinson, Department of Internal Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
Kumar Krishnan, Barbara H Jung, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
Kristina A Matkowskyj, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53792, United States
Author contributions: Secemsky BJ drafted the manuscript and the reviewed literature; Robinson KR made critical revisions of the manuscript for important intellectual content and provided material support; Krishnan K acquired data and provided study supervision; Matkowskyj KA acquired data and provided material support; Jung BH acquired data and provided study supervision.
Correspondence to: Barbara H Jung, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 East Chicago Street, Chicago, IL 60611, United States. bjung@northwestern.edu
Telephone: +1-312-5032882 Fax: +1-312-5030386
Received: November 17, 2013
Revised: January 14, 2013
Accepted: January 23, 2013
Published online: April 16, 2013
Processing time: 144 Days and 4.8 Hours
Abstract

Here, we report a case of a young man who presented with a significant upper gastrointestinal bleed treated by endoscopic removal of multiple hyperplastic polyps. Gastric hyperplastic polyps are a relatively uncommon cause of overt gastrointestinal bleeding. While most hyperplastic gastric polyps are asymptomatic, they may present with abdominal pain, iron deficiency anemia or gastric outlet obstruction. These polyps are associated with conditions such as Helicobacter pylori gastritis and atrophic autoimmune gastritis, which predispose the epithelium to chronic inflammation and epithelial repair. The patient presented to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in July 2011. The polyps were resected by clip-assisted snare polypectomy. Histopathologic assessment of the resected polyps demonstrated multiple, non-ulcerative hyperplastic polyps measuring 1.3-1.8 cm in size, without evidence of dysplasia or malignancy. This case describes a young adult patient with multiple, large gastric polyps causing overt gastrointestinal bleeding. This is a rare presentation in a young individual, as these polyps are typically identified in patients older than 60 years of age and less commonly, pediatric populations.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Hyperplastic polyps; Endoscopy; Polyp; Therapeutic endoscopy

Core tip: While uncommon, gastric hyperplastic polyps may be the source of overt upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in young individuals and must be included in the differential of such symptoms.