Abstract

VASQUEZ, Luis et al. Actinic enteritis as a cause of digestive bleeding of obscure origin. Rev. gastroenterol. Perú [online]. 2016, vol.36, n.2, pp.159-163. ISSN 1022-5129.

Chronic actinic enteritis is a malfunction of the small bowel, occurring in the 6 months post-radiotherapy, and it can be manifestated as malabsortion, stenosis, fistula formation, local abscesses, perforation and bleeding, We report a case of an elderly patient who presents an episode of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) secondary to actinic enteritis. She is a 64-year-old female patient with the past medical history of cervical cancer who received radiotherapy and brachytherapy. One year after the treatment, the patient presents a chronic episode of melena and symptomatic anemia and 1 week before the admission she had hematochezia. At admission she has hemodynamic instability with a hemoglobin value of 2.7 gr/dl. We did an upper endoscopy, a colonoscopy and abdomino-pelvic tomography without any findings of the bleeding’s source. Reason why an endoscopic capsule was done, showing bleeding areas in the medial and distal small bowel. The patient had another gastrointestinal bleeding requiring a surgery where they decide to do a resection of the small bowel and a right hemicholectomy. The pathology was compatible with actinic enteritis. The patient after the surgery had a torpid evolution, and finally dies. We describe this case and do a review of all the existent data around the world, because is the first case reported in Peru of an actinic enteritis as a cause of OGIB.

Keywords : Enteritis; Radiotherapy; Hemorrhage.

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