Case Report
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Aug 16, 2010; 2(8): 298-300
Published online Aug 16, 2010. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v2.i8.298
A novel endoscopic ablation of gastric antral vascular ectasia
Masae Komiyama, Kuangi Fu, Takashi Morimoto, Hironori Konuma, Toshifumi Yamagata, Yuko Izumi, Akihisa Miyazaki, Sumio Watanabe
Masae Komiyama, Kuangi Fu, Takashi Morimoto, Hironori Konuma, Toshifumi Yamagata, Yuko Izumi, Akihisa Miyazaki, Department of Gastroenterology, Juntendo Univerity Nerima Hospital, Tokyo 177-0033, Japan
Sumio Watanabe, Department of Gastroenterology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8431, Japan
Author contributions: Komiyama M and Fu KI supplemented the data for this case report; Morimoto T, Konuma H, Yamagata T, Izumi Y, Miyazaki A, Watanabe S analysed the data of the patient; and Komiyama M and Fu KI wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Kuangi Fu, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology, Juntendo University Nerima Hospital, 3-1-10 Nerimatakanodai, Nerima, Tokyo 177-0033, Japan. fukuangi@hotmail.com
Telephone: +81-3-59233111 Fax: +81-3-59233111
Received: March 26, 2010
Revised: June 22, 2010
Accepted: June 29, 2010
Published online: August 16, 2010
Abstract

An 80-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of tarry stool with iron deficiency anemia. Her past history included autoimmune hepatitis. Esophagogastroduodenal endoscopy was performed to investigate the bleeding source and revealed multiple linear gastric vascular malformations in the antrum and cardia, compatible with Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE). Endoscopic ablation was carried out with the tip of the hot biopsy forceps without opening at soft coagulation mode of 80W. The patient tolerated the procedure well and there were no complications associated with endoscopic therapies. After two sessions of endoscopic ablation her anemia improved to around 10 g/dL, an increase of 3.6 g/dL. Various endoscopic treatments have been described to manage GAVE. The most popular is argon plasma coagulation (APC), although APC is associated with over-distension induced by the argon plasma gas. To avoid over-distension and to reduce the abdominal discomfort/pain of this patient, we have used hot biopsy forceps instead of APC. Our case suggests that this procedure is effective, easy and convenient, as no special equipment or skill is necessary.

Keywords: Hot biopsy forceps; Endoscopic ablation; Gastric antral vascular ectasia