A cavernous hemangioma of the rectum treated as a hemorrhoid for 1 year prior to its diagnosis: report of a case.

We report herein the case of a 28-year-old woman with a rectal cavernous hemangioma in whom recurrent rectal bleeding and marked anemia were interpreted as being caused by her coexisting internal hemorrhoids, resulting in a delay in the correct diagnosis for 1 year. Digital examination revealed a walnut-sized, wide-based, and elastic soft mass, 3 cm proximal from the anal verge, in addition to the internal hemorrhoids. Colonofiberscopy revealed a bluish submucosal lesion with superficial capillary dilatation at the same site. A transanal local resection was performed and the histological diagnosis of the tumor was cavernous hemangioma. The patient has been well without any recurrence of rectal bleeding for 2 years and 6 months since her operation. Thus, although rectal cavernous hemangioma is rare, a lack of awareness of this condition could lead to misdiagnosis as hemorrhoids and subsequent inappropriate therapy.