[Dieulafoy's vascular disease]

Four cases are reported of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by Dieulafoy's vascular disease treated in our service over the last 15 years. In all these patients bleeding was from an unusually long artery with a tortuous trajectory through the gastric submucosa that eroded the mucosa and caused blood loss. In 75% of the cases it was located 6 cm below the gastroesophageal junction, near the small curvature. The diagnosis is usually made by endoscopy or during emergency gastrostomy. The most effective therapeutic measure is surgical resection.