[Ultrasound imaging of mesenchymal small intestine tumors in diagnosis of unexplained gastrointestinal hemorrhage].

The presented case reports highlight the value of transabdominal ultrasound as a complementary and non-invasive diagnostic tool in unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding. Seven patients with intermittent melaena and/or chronic anaemia were examined. In all patients, diagnostic procedures like abdominal ultrasound, EGD, colonoscopy and enteroclysis were performed primarily and did not point to a bleeding source. Transabdominal bowel wall ultrasound discovered in all cases a round and smoothly delineated tumour of homogeneous and hypoechoic structure. The diagnosis was confirmed using selective angiography in three cases revealing a roundish hypervascular lesion. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy and re-endoscopy were used in two cases, respectively, to verify the diagnosis. Postoperative histology revealed a benign leiomyoma (n = 3), schwannoma (n = 2), lipoma (n = 1) and angiofibroma (n = 1) with vascular erosions. Transabdominal ultrasound can operate as a complementary imaging technique in case of gastrointestinal haemorrhage, if endoscopic procedures fail to identify the bleeding source in the upper gastrointestinal tract and large bowel.