EP.FRI.988Life threatening recurrent bleeding gastric fundus Dieulafoy lesion: A case report

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Dieulafoy lesion is a rare but significant cause of upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT) bleeding. Over 75% of Dieulafoy lesions are located in the stomach and they tend to be responsible for recurrent upper GIT bleeding. Endoscopic therapy is the first line intervention to achieve haemostasis. Patient A 49-year old normally fit man known to have a gastric Dieulafoy lesion since 2008 presented with a history of collapse on the street and significant melaena. He was tachycardic, with a heart rate of 116, and hypotensive, blood pressure 109/68 mmHg on admission. He had significant upper GIT bleeding from the gastric fundus Dieulafoy lesion in April 2008, requiring a massive blood transfusion. At the time, the attempted endoscopic therapy was unsuccessful, resulting in an emergency surgery and under-running of the bleeding vessels. For the recent admission, he underwent an urgent therapeutic oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, with 3 endoscopic clips applied, but this failed to maintain haemostasis. Four units of packed red cell were transfused and he was transferred immediately to the operating theatre. He underwent an emergency laparotomy, adhesiolysis, gastrostomy and wedge resection of the bleeding gastric fundus Dieulafoy lesion using a linear cutter 75mm stapler. He had an uneventful post-operative recovery and was discharged home on day four after surgery. The histology of the wedged gastric specimen confirmed an area of gastric mucosa ulceration with a network of mixed dilated, thin and thick-walled tortuous vessels in the adjacent submucosal layer. The histologic features are consistent with a bleeding gastric Dieulafoy lesion.