HAEMOSUCCUS-PANCREATICUS, A RARE CAUSE OF UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL-BLEEDING - SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT BY TRANSCATHETER EMBOLIZATION OF THE SPLENIC ARTERY IN 2 CASES

History and clinical findings: Two patients were admitted to hospital for diagnosis of recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Both had c hronic pancreatitis with alcohol abuse. Their general condition was sa tisfactory. Physical examination showed no diagnostic abnormalities ot her than mild epigastric pain on pressure in one patient. Investigatio ns: In case 1 angiography revealed pseudoaneurysm of the splenic arter y as a complication of chronic pancreatitis to be the cause of the ble eding. in case 2 sonography demonstrated multiple pancreatic pseudocys ts after recurrent pancreatitis. Duplex sonography revealed one of the cyst to be a partly thrombosed pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery a nd the source of the breeding. Treatment and course: In both cases a f istula between splenic artery and pancreatic duct having been shown to be the source of the bleeding, transcatheter embolisation of the sple nic artery with platinum coils was successfully undertaken. Both patie nts remained symptom-free 4 and 10 months later. Conclusion: Although haemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal ble eding, given certain features in the patient's history and the clinica l findings, it should be included in the differential diagnosis.