Small bowel angiolipoma with ileoileal intussusception - a rare cause of occult intestinal bleeding

We present, the case of a 71-year-old woman who was hospitalized because of a severe hip contusion. She had no symptoms or clinical signs of abdominal disease. Routine blood testing showed anemia, presumably owing to occult bleeding. Ultrasonographic abdominal screening revealed ileo-ileal intussusception with a central hyperechoic tumor suggestive of a lipoma as lead point. This diagnosis was confirmed at surgery, where a small bowel resection was performed. Histologic examination disclosed a benign angiolipoma of the ileum with a superficial shallow ulceration which obviously was the source of the occult blood loss. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and a literature review are discussed.