Superior mesenteric artery aneurysm presenting with epigastric pain and raised platelet count

A 90-year-old man admitted to our hospital for recuperation after heart failure was found to have raised platelet count and a normocytic anemia. He then developed an acute abdomen and died. Post-mortem examination revealed ruptured superior mesenteric artery aneurysm. Reactive thrombocytosis and anemia were probably the only indication of