Treatment of vascular malformation of the gastrointestinal tract

Vascular malformations of the gastrointestinal tract are rare phenomenon. They are generally manifested by upper or lower GI - bleeding and do not resolve spontaneously. Emergency intervention is necessary. This paper reports on 10 cases, treated in the Dept. of Pediatric surgery of the FU Berlin, recorded from 1981 to 1999. We use the Nd:YAG laser 1064 nm, Fibertom 5100, Dornier, Germany, with a 600nm barefiber. Reduction in size of the hemangiomas and stop of the GI-bleeding was achieved in all cases.