Haemangiomas of the gastrointestinal tract in children.

Haemangiomas of the gastrointestinal tract are unusual vascular anomalies either in children or in adults. There is a significant difficulty in their diagnosis because of this rarity. However, when they are present, haemangiomas of the gastrointestinal tract may be a source of acute or chronic blood loss and anaemia. The case histories of two children with severe gastrointestinal bleeding due to cavernous haemangioma of the duodenum and caecum are presented in this report. Progressive haemorrhage from the gastrointestinal tract was the indication for operative intervention in both children. Each child underwent complete resections of the haemangiomas and is well and symptom-free one year after the surgical treatment. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to this uncommon benign condition which has a relatively high mortality due to the delays in diagnosis and inadequate treatment.