Jejunal Dieulafoy lesion causing massive gastrointestinal bleed

Abstract

Dieulafoy lesions are a rare, non-variceal cause of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding arising from dilated submucosal arteries without any underlying ulcer, which if undiagnosed can cause significant morbidity and mortality. We present a young female with massive upper and lower GI bleeding with haemodynamic instability, the source of which could not be identified with upper and lower endoscopy or radiological investigations. We therefore employed capsule endoscopy, which identified the location as the mid-jejunum. In view of ongoing bleeding, an emergency laparotomy with resection and anastomosis of the affected bowel was performed. Massive obscure small bowel bleeds pose major diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, which can be tackled only by timely intervention.

Keywords: Anatomic Variation; Emergency medicine; GI bleeding; Gastrointestinal surgery; Small intestine.