[Dieulafoy's lesion]

Massive upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding from a ruptured abnormal gastric artery was reported by Gallard in 1884. The lesion is rare and its characteristics were only described 24 years later by the French surgeon Dieulafoy. It is characterized by an abnormal, tortuous, submucosal artery protruding from a small lesion in otherwise normal gastric mucosa, and is usually located in the posterior wall of the lesser curvature near the cardia. Preoperative diagnosis is very difficult and it is easily overlooked, even during operation. Hence, rebleeding and second laparatomy are common. Treatment is mainly surgical: by wedge resection or oversewing the lesion. A 30-year-old patient with this condition who was operated on for upper gastrointestinal bleeding is presented.