Dieulafoy Lesion: Scope it Until You Find it
Department
Internal Medicine
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Cureus
Abstract
A Dieulafoy lesion is an important consideration every gastroenterologist and internal medicine physician has to make in cases of recurrent, unidentifiable, and hemodynamically compromising gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. A Dieulafoy lesion is an aberrant vessel that does not reduce in caliber when it extends from the submucosa to the mucosa. Damage to this artery can result in severe, intermittent arterial bleeding from tiny, difficult-to-visualize vessel stumps. Furthermore, these catastrophic bleeding episodes frequently result in hemodynamic instability and the need for transfusion of multiple blood products. As the patients presenting with Dieulafoy lesions often have concomitant cardiac and renal disease, familiarity with this condition is relevant as these patients are at risk of transfusion-related injuries. This case is unique as the Dieulafoy lesion was not visualizable in a standard location despite multiple esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and CT angiography, illustrating the difficulty of accurately managing and diagnosing this condition.
First Page
e36097
DOI
10.7759/cureus.36097
Volume
15
Issue
3
Publication Date
3-1-2023
PubMed ID
37065413
Recommended Citation
Kusnik, A., Reda Mostafa, M., Sharma, R. P., & Chodos, A. (2023). Dieulafoy Lesion: Scope it Until You Find it. Cureus, 15 (3), e36097. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.36097