ANGIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE - CURRENT CONCEPTS

The diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal hemorrhage represents one of the earliest applications of selective angiography and the birt h of interventional radiology. Owing to advances in pharmacologic ther apy and improved surgical and endoscopic techniques, upper gastrointes tinal bleeding is seen far less frequently by the angiographer than wa s the case 10 years ago. Many of the principles of angiography in this setting have changed little over the past two decades except for stea dy advances in imaging and instrumentation. On the other hand, the dev elopment of new procedures such as transjugular intrahepatic portosyst emic shunt (TIPS), and entirely new diseases such as AIDS, have altere d the landscape significantly. The discussion of this subject traditio nally has been divided into upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding and acute and chronic categories, a classification that is still most useful when considering both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.