Dieulafoy Disease of the Colon

Dieulafoy disease is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (usually gastric) and an even rarer cause of colonic bleeding. There is a sudden onset of catastrophic bleeding in a previously healthy individual, which cannot be managed conservatively. Although this entity can be diagnosed and treated by endoscopy and angiography, the knowledge of its existence in colon is critical to making the diagnosis because of its small size. In an era of widespread use of endoscopy, the pathologists uncommonly receive resection specimens for Dieulafoy lesions. However, the diagnosis can be missed because of the small size of the lesion and the almost normal appearance of the mucosa. Awareness of its existence will provide an answer for otherwise unexplained gastrointestinal hemorrhage. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2009; 133: 1865-1867)