Abstract

The aim of our study is to evaluate the value of Argon Plasma Coagulation in the treatment of gastrointestinal vascular abnormalities.

Patients and methods

This is a descriptive and analytical retrospective study, from January 2009 to September 2020. 198 patients who have benefited from treatment with Argon Plasma Coagulation for vascular anomalies of the digestive tract divided into 2 groups:

-Group A: Patients with radial rectitis lesions (n = 107).

-Group B: Patients with lesions of digestive angiodysplasia (n = 91).

Results

The mean age of our patients was 64.95 ± 9.88 years [43 - 83] in group A, while in group B the mean age was 65.19 ± 14.29 years [40 - 91] with a clear male predominance in 72.5%. The majority of patients in group A were followed for prostate cancer in 33,8%, and 26.3% of patients in group B had chronic renal failure, followed by stomach cancer in 15.8%, and esophageal cancer in 10.5%. Clinical symptomatology was dominated by rectories in 40.2% in group A versus 46.8% in group B. Rectal involvement was dominated in group A in 98.1%, whereas in group B the lesions were mainly located in the stomach in 60.5%. The endoscopic evolution was favorable in all our patients with a clear improvement of rectal lesions and digestive angiodysplasia lesions. The total complication rate in our series was nil.

Conclusion

Plasma Argon coagulation is a very effective method in the endoscopic treatment of digestive haemorrhages with good tolerability and a low complication rate.

Keywords
argon plasma coagulation; radiation rectitis; intestinal angiodysplasia