[Treatment of hemosuccus pancreaticus by bilateral embolization of gastric arteries]

Arosion of peripancreatic arteries in acute or chronic pancreatitis is a rare cause of bleeding into gastrointestinal tract--hemosuccus pancreaticus. Aim of the paper is to show the diagnostic and therapeutic options in this serious clinical stage.

We report a case of a patient with chronic pancreatitis who developed acute bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract due to the perforation of a pseudoaneurysm into pancreatic pseudocyst in the area of the pancreatic body. The diagnosis of hemosuccus pancreaticus, established by endoscopy and postcontrast CT examination, was confirmed by angiography. We stopped the acute bleeding from pseudoaneurysm, unusually well supplied by both gastric arteries by embolization of both arteries with metallic coils.

Angiography plays an irreplaceable role in patients with hemosuccus pancreaticus. Our case demonstrates bleeding from pseudoaneurysm supplied by both gastric arteries, whose embolization produced an immediate hemostasis and improvment the patient's condition.