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Endoscopic laser therapy of the watermelon stomach
Author(s) -
Bjorkman David J.,
Buchi Kenneth N.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.1900120504
Subject(s) - gastric antral vascular ectasia , medicine , stomach , argon plasma coagulation , laser , surgery , laser coagulation , ectasia , laser therapy , antrum , endoscopy , gastroenterology , physics , visual acuity , optics
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.