간경변증 환자에서 주요 혈관확장증인 위전정부 혈관확장증은 만성적인 위장관 출혈의 드문 원인으로서 그 원인은 정확히 밝혀져 있지 않았으며 임상적으로는 만성적인 잠혈 손실로 철결핍성 빈혈을 일으킬 수 있다. 직장의 혈관확장증과 동반된 경우는 매우 드물어, 국내에서는 아직 보고가 된 적이 없다. 저자들은 간경변증을 가진 환자에게서 위장관 출혈의 원인이 된 직장의 혈관확장증을 동반한 위전정부 혈관확장증 1예와 직장 혈관확장증 1예를 아르곤 플라스마 응고법으로 치료 경험하였기에 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

The term "vascular ectasia" is defined to include angiodysplasia, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) and telangiectasis, and these are the leading causes of acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. We describe here the first 2 Korean cases of GAVE with rectal vascular ectasia in patients with liver cirrhosis. A 70-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with hematochezia. The finding on endoscopy showed diffuse nonconfluent spots with oozing bleeding on the antrum and several vascular spots with oozing bleeding on the rectum. The lesions were successfully treated by argon plasma coagulation (APC). We report on another case of rectal vascular ectasia in a patient with liver cirrhosis. A 77-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with hematochezia. The findings on colonoscopy showed diffuse vascular spots with oozing bleeding on the rectum. The lesions were successfully treated by APC. These two patients have had no bleeding since their treatment, and they are currently being evaluated by follow-up studies at the outpatient department. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2009;38:171-175)