What Causes Gastrointestinal Bleeding?
Jun 11, 2021
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Xiaojun
Introduction
Causes of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding include Mallory-Weiss tears (mucosal lacerations at the gastroesophageal junction), rupture of esophageal or gastric varices, gastric cancer, and peptic ulcers. These four etiologies account for approximately 85% of clinically diagnosed cases of upper GI bleeding. Lower GI bleeding may result from other causes, such as vascular malformations, arteriovenous malformations, hemangiomas, colonic polyps, and hemorrhoids.
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is extremely common in clinical practice and represents a classic symptom of acute, critical, and life-threatening conditions. What are the clinical manifestations of GI bleeding? First, we classify it into upper GI bleeding, which has four major underlying causes.
The first cause is Mallory-Weiss tear—mucosal laceration at the gastroesophageal junction. The second is rupture of esophageal or gastric varices. The third is gastric cancer, and the fourth is peptic ulcer disease. Collectively, these four etiologies account for approximately 85% of clinically diagnosed cases of upper GI bleeding.
Lower GI bleeding may also arise from various causes, including vascular malformations, arteriovenous malformations, hemangiomas, colonic polyps, hemorrhoids, and others. Thus, GI bleeding has numerous potential etiologies. Clinically, careful differentiation and rational analysis are essential to accurately determine whether the bleeding originates from the upper or lower GI tract.
