Dieulafoy lesions as cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with portal hypertension

Abstract

Dieulafoy’s lesion is an abnormally large and tortuous submucosal artery that protrudes through a small mucosal defect resulting in gastrointestinal bleeding. We present a case of a 53-year-old man with a history of HIV and alcohol abuse who presented to the emergency room with hematemesis and melena. Upper endoscopy revealed an actively bleeding dieulafoy lesion, but due to uncontrolled bleeding, embolization of the left artery was necessitated. The incidence of dieulafoy lesions is about 0.3% to 6.7% within the stomach. The etiology remains uncertain but has been linked to alcoholism and antiplatelet drugs. We are emphasizing the importance of considering uncommon causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with portal hypertension.

Keywords

• dieulafoy’s lesions
• portal hypertension
• cirrhosis
• upper gastrointestinal bleeding