title: Blind total gastrectomy for massive bleeding from the stomach.
abstract: The source of massive haemorrhage from the stomach cannot always be identified even with the use of fibreoptic endoscopy and angiography. Six patients with massive, continuing, non-variceal haemorrhage from the stomach are described in whom total gastrectomy was eventually required. Three patients were shown to have bled from submucosal arteriovenous malformations, two from erosive gastritis and one from a vessel in an ulcer at the oesophagogastric junction. One patient died as a result of surgery and another died later of disseminated malignant disease. The functional results in the remaining patients were surprisingly good and rebleeding has not occurred. Total gastrectomy is a satisfactory 'last resort' treatment for life-threatening gastric haemorrhage for which no cause can be found.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*