Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2016 | Case report
Successful endoscopic treatment of stapled J-pouch ileoanal canal anastomotic hemorrhage by argon plasma coagulation: a case report
Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2016
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Background
Continuous lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a rare condition, but it often requires proper management. We report a case of a patient with gastrointestinal hemorrhage 18 years after stapled J-pouch ileoanal canal anastomosis who was successfully treated with argon plasma coagulation.
Case presentation
Our patient was a 54-year-old Japanese man who had developed ulcerative colitis 28 years ago. A J-shaped ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with a double-staple technique was indicated 18 years ago when the patient became refractory to the conventional medication. When he presented to our hospital, 18 years after the operation, the patient complained of faintness and fresh blood in the stool of 2 days’ duration, and was admitted for investigation. Lower endoscopy revealed that the hemorrhage was from a neovascularization area close to the site of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Cap-assisted argon plasma coagulation was carried out for hemostasis, and complete hemostasis was achieved without complications.
Conclusions
We present a case of a patient with hemorrhage following a J-shaped ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with a double-staple technique performed 18 years ago. Argon plasma coagulation treatment was successful, suggesting the potential safety and effectiveness of colonoscopic electrocoagulation for controlling unremitting hemorrhage from a neovascularization area around a stapled ileoanal canal anastomotic site.