Occult gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding

Etiology

  • Malignancy
  • Vascular ectasias (angiodysplasias), eg, idiopathic arteriovenous malformation (AVM), CREST syndrome, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasias
  • Portal hypertensive gastropathy
  • Peptic ulcer disease
  • Ulcerated polyp
  • Infections, eg, hookworm, tuberculosis (TB)
  • Drugs, eg, NSAIDs, aspirin
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Malabsorption, especially celiac sprue
  • Menstrual or pregnancy-associated iron loss
  • Idiopathic

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Last updated: December 1, 2014