Solitary hemangioma of the small intestine: an unusual cause of bleeding diagnosed at capsule endoscopy.

Solitary small intestine hemangiomas are rare and usually present with overt bleeding or chronic anemia. Diagnosis is usually difficult because traditional imaging techniques often lack accuracy. Capsule endoscopy is a new diagnostic tool that has showed greater sensitivity than other methods to reveal causes of bleeding in the small intestine.

The role of capsule endoscopy in the work-up of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Objective: To evaluate the role of capsule endoscopy in the detection of causes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methods: Fifteen patients, nine males and six females, mean age 46 years (range 20-75 years), were investigated. All patients had undergone upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy with no evidence of causes of bleeding.