Snapshot quiz 13/25

Published: 02/22/2013

Authors: Tartar L and Mauvais F

This 78-year-old man has a colostomy owing to perforated sigmoid diverticulitis. He also presents with alcoholic cirrhosis and portal hypertension. The conjunction of both of these has triggered the appearance of multiple tortuous superficial abdominal veins, acting as blood circulation bypass, causing pain and bleeding. The cure is mainly endoscopic for mucous varicose veins, and consists of glue injection or radiological embolization for cutaneous varicose veins; in case of failure a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt may be needed in both cases.