Korean J Leg Med.  2014 Aug;38(3):113-115. 10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.3.113.

Death due to Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Associated with Dieulafoy's Lesion

• Park J
• Ha H
• Kim M

• KMID: 2082761
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2014.38.3.113

Abstract

Dieulafoy's lesion is a rare condition that may cause intermittent or massive gastrointestinal bleeding. It is characterized by the exteriorization of an arterial vessel into the lumen of the affected organ, generally the upper digestive tract, through an apparently normal mucosa or a small tear or erosion. We report two patients with Dieulafoy's lesions, one in whom the lesion was misdiagnosed as a submucosal tumor and endoscopic biopsy resulted in fatal bleeding.

Keyword

Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Endoscopy; Death; Autopsy

MeSH Terms

Autopsy
Biopsy
Endoscopy
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage*
Gastrointestinal Tract
Hemorrhage
Humans
Mucous Membrane

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. An arterial vessel is exposed and ruptured into the gastric lumen.

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  Fig. 2. Microscopic examination showed the large and tortuous submucosal arteries and the mucosal erosion.

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  Fig. 3. There are the biopsy sites and submucosal hemorrhage in the gastric cardia.

Reference

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