[Dieulafoy's exulceratio simplex: a rare cause of digestive bleeding]

Among the various, uncommon sources of digestive bleeding due to vascular malformation, Dieulafoy's disease--a peculiar clinical and histological entity--usually causes the most pronounced hemorrhage. A case admitted to our hospital for massive bleeding requiring emergency surgery is presented. The most qualified pathogenetic hypotheses and the importance of diagnostic accuracy before operation are emphasized and stress is laid on therapeutic endoscopy on the basis of literature data.