What are the causes of small bowel bleeding

Condition analysis:
The causes of bleeding in the small bowel are different from those in the colon or the stomach. The most common causes of bleeding from the colon are polyps, diverticulosis (small out-pouchings in the wall of the colon), or cancer. Upper GI (esophagus, stomach, or duodenum) bleeding is most often due to ulcers.

In the small bowel, 30 to 40% of bleeding is caused by abnormal blood vessels in the wall of the small bowel. These abnormal blood vessels have many names, including angioectasias, angiodysplasias, or arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). In people over the age of 50 years, AVMs are the most common cause of small bowel bleeding. Other causes of small bowel bleeding include benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors, polyps, Crohn's disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease), and ulcers.

Instructions:
What are the Most Common Risks for Small Bowel Bleeding?
The most common source of small bowel bleeding is angioectasias, which are abnormal blood vessels that lie within the wall of the small bowel, and are most often found in older patients. Bleeding can also come from ulcers caused by non-steroidal medications, tumors, inflammation, or blood vessels associated with certain heart conditions or cardiac implantable devices.