Gastric infarction: a complication of selective vasopressin infusion

This report describes a case of massive gastric hemorrhage, initially controlled by selective arterial vasopressin infusion. Infusion was followed by extensive necrosis of the gastric wall which necessitated subtotal gastrectomy. Gastric necrosis following arterial infusion is rare and in this case appears to be due to migration of the infusion catheter into a peripheral branch of the left gastric artery in a patient whose gastric circulation had been compromised by prior surgery. The complications related to the use of arterial infusion for the control of gastric hemorrhage are discussed and the literature is reviewed.