Sandbox spinalcord

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding, commonly abbreviated LGIB, refers to any form of bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Causes

• Coagulopathy - specifically a bleeding diathesis
• Colitis
  • ischaemic colitis
  • ulcerative colitis
  • infectious colitis
    • E. coli O157:H7
    • Shigella
    • C. difficile
    • Campylobacter jejuni
• Hemorrhoids
• Angiodysplasia
• Neoplasm - cancer
• Diverticular disease - diverticulosis, diverticulitis

Diagnosis

The following suggest an LGIB:

• Melena and a negative oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
• Hematochezia
• Fecal occult blood

The following may suggest an LGIB:

• Anemia

Related Chapter

• Fecal occult blood
• Blood in stool
• Rectal bleeding
• Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Blood in stools

Abdominal pain

Yes

No

Fever

Rectal pain

Yes

No

H/O of constipation

H/O of constipation

No

Yes

No

Yes

Weightloss

Diverticulosis

Hemodynamic status

Diverticulitis

No

Yes

Stable

Unstable

Polyps

Colon cancer

No

Yes

Weight Loss

Anal fissure External Hemmrhoids

Yes

No

Rectal cancer Colon cancer

Angiodysplasia Polyps

Management

Hepatic adenoma

Management of hepatic adenoma depends upon:

• Symptoms
• Size
• Number
• Location
• Certainty of the diagnosis

Asymptomatic woman on OCPs with a small adenoma

The European Association for Study of the Liver recommends

• Discontinuation of contraceptive medication
• Close observation of the lesion with repeated imaging and alpha fetoprotein.
  • Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging at a six month interval to determine if there is regression of a large adenoma to less than 5 cm.
• Patients with hepatic adenomas that do not resolve or that enlarge after six months of observation should undergo treatment.

Symptomatic patients and those with large adenomas

• Surgical resection is recommended for all symptomatic patients with hepatic adenoma and those with large lesions (>5 cm).
• Surgical options include :
  • Enucleation
  • Resection
  • Liver transplantation

• Nonsurgical interventions include
  • Transarterial embolization
  • Radiofrequency ablation

Hepatic Hemangioma

• Asymptomatic patients
  • Patients with lesions <1.5 cm, are reassured and observed.
  • Follow-up imaging in patients with hemangiomas ≤5 cm in size is usually not recommended.
  • Patients with rapid growth of a hemangioma or with lesions >5 cm it is recommended to repeat imaging in 6 to 12 months.
  • It is recommended not perform additional imaging if there is no change in the size of the lesion.  
• Symptomatic patients
  • Patients who have pain or symptoms suggestive of extrinsic compression of adjacent structures should be considered for surgical options.
  • Surgical options include 
    • Liver resection
    • Enucleation
    • Hepatic artery ligation
    • Liver transplantation
  • Non-surgical techniques include
    • Hepatic artery embolization
    • Radiotherapy
    • Interferon alfa-2a 

Focal nodular hyperplasia

• Due to their benign nature of focal nodular hyperplasia, there is

• Follow-up studies at three and six months will often be sufficient to confirm the stability of the lesion and its benign nature, after which no long-term follow-up is required routinely.
• Surgery should be reserved for symptomatic FNH lesion.