ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses vascular abnormalities of the cecal area as the small, bright red, flat, mucosal lesions usually seen in the cecum. Well-developed lesions will be elevated 1 to 2 mm above the surrounding mucosa and have a flat top. It is important to differentiate these small vascular abnormalities from larger vascular lesions which can affect the large bowel, such as varices, lymphangiomas, and capillary hemangiomas. Small vascular abnormalities of the large bowel were difficult to detect prior to angiography or colonoscopy. A right colectomy had been considered, but because of the patient’s general medical condition, endoscopic electrocoagulation was considered. Early angiographic studies paid little attention to diseases associated with the vascular abnormality. Angiographic studies showed most of those patients to be bleeding from a small vascular abnormality in the area of the cecum. S. J. Boley et al. studied colons from patients with the clinical and angiographic diagnoses of cecal vascular lesions.
