| [ Summary ] |
According to a report on surgical cases, the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in intestinal Behcet's disease is approximately 17 percent. Correct preoperative diagnosis of this disease, however, is apparently difficult except in those patients who have already been diagnosed as having Behcet's disease or have a past history suggestive of this disease. The principal pathologies causing gastrointestinal bleeding include typical small intestinal ulcers and diffuse-type colitis. Recto-vaginal fistulas and post-operative aorto-duodenal fistulas, which are classified under vasculo-Behcet's disease, are rare causes of bleeding. Budd-Chiari's syndrome resulting from hepatic venous occlusion, ischemic enteritis caused by superior mesenteric artery occlusion, and vascular by-passes formed as a result of portal venous occlusion are potential causes of gastrointestinal bleeding. Non-surgical treatment is generaly recommended. However, if surgery is indicated, skip-lesions may be left and managed with medical therapy, and intestinal resections with anastomoses should be minimized. |