Rectal Dieulafoy Lesion—a Rare Cause of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Excerpt

An 83-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a 24-h history of bloody diarrhea. Past medical history included arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hysterectomy for benign myoma. She was emaciated, dehydrated, paled, hemodynamically stable, and normothermic. Abdominal examination was unremarkable. Rectal examination found no masses but significant amount of bright red blood. Laboratory results showed hemoglobin 10.24 g/dL, leucocytes 9 × 10³/uL, blood urea nitrogen 127 mg/dL, and normal coagulation parameters. Colonoscopy revealed a rectal Dieulafoy lesion (RDL) with active pulsating bleeding (Fig. 1) that was managed with adrenaline injection and vessel clipping (Fig. 2). The patient had no rebleeding and was clinically well after 12 months of follow-up.

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