Endoscopic laser therapy of the watermelon stomach

✍ Scribed by David J. Bjorkman; Kenneth N. Buchi

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 396 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-8092
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.1900120504

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Endoscopic laser therapy has been used in the treatment of vascular lesions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The “watermelon stomach” is a pattern of vascular ectasia in the gastric antrum that results in chronic gastrointestinal blood loss and iron deficiency anemia.

We have treated 7 transfusion dependent patients with a watermelon stomach using endoscopic laser therapy. Four of these patients were treated with the argon laser and 3 with the Nd:YAG laser. Patient age and prior transfusion requirements were similar in both groups. The mean number of treatments to obliterate vascular lesions and eliminate the need for transfusions was 5.75 ± 0.89 (SEM) for the argon laser and 2.33 ± 0.27 for the Nd:YAG laser (P < 0.05). Lesions recurred and required retreatment in 1 patient treated with the NdrYAG laser and 3 patients treated with the argon laser (mean follow‐up of 35 months). We conclude that endoscopic laser therapy with either the argon or Nd:YAG laser is an effective treatment modality for antral vascular ectasia (watermelon stomach). The Nd:YAG laser requires fewer treatment sessions than the argon laser to obliterate the lesions without increased risk of complications. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.