title: Hemoductal pancreatitis.
abstract: Gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage from rupture of the splenic artery into the pancreatic duct is unusual. This obscure cause of intermittent gastrointestinal tract bleeding should be suspected when the more common causes of bleeding have been ruled out. Duodenoscopy carried out during active hemorrhage may reveal blood coming from the papilla of Vater. Coeliac arteriography will show the pathognomonic findings and confirm the diagnosis. We have treated three patients who had chronic pancreatitis and who developed pseudocyst formation and pseudoaneurysms of the splenic artery. The pseudoaneurysm ruptured into the duct of Wirsung, causing obscure upper-gastrointestinal bleeding. Treatment was distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, including the pseudoaneurysm and pseudocyst. A review of the literature suggests that three different types of bleeding into the pancreatic duct can occur. The cause of each is described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Camishion
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pello
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Spence
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Atabek
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuroda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000473:pathology*; D010185:Pancreatic Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications