Major gastrointestinal hemorrhage from peripancreatic blood vessels in pancreatitis

Abstract

Seven cases of gastrointestinal bleeding originating from peripancreatic blood vessels seen between 1977 and 1982 are presented. The bleeding originated either from true aneurysms, formed when the pancreatic inflammatory processes weaken the walls of peripancreatic blood vessels, from pseudoaneurysms which occurred after vascular leakage into pancreatic pseudocyst, or from veins. Gastrointestinal bleeding occurs when these entities rupture into gastrointestinal viscera. Hemorrhage of this nature must be considered in the clinical setting of patients who have a history of alcoholism, chronic relapsing pancreatitis, and known pseudocysts. Endoscopy, bleeding scans, and barium contrast studies are only occasionally helpful in diagnosis. Selective visceral angiography during acute hemorrhage is often diagnostic and concomitant arterial embolization techniques may offer a temporizing or permanent modality for hemostasis. This technique may be especially useful in the unstable, acutely ill patient with alcoholic hepatitis, sepsis, or an immature pseudocyst who poses a poor operative risk.