GASTRIC HEMANGIOMA ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL-BLEEDING

Upper digestive bleeding caused by an isolated gastric hemangioma is a rather rare occurrence, even in cases of Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. The case reported here, which brings to 40 the number reported in the world literature, is that of a 68-year-old patient who presented with upper digestive bleeding. Endoscopy led us to suspect a hemangioma due to the abnormally large lesion, a suspicion that was confirmed preope ratively through arteriography, which detected a hypervascular mass of 6 x 4 cm dependent on the gastroduodenal artery. This finding was in turn confirmed by the surgical intervention. Diagnostic difficulties b ased on barium studies, endoscopy and surgical exploration have meant that preoperative diagnosis has been rare in the cases published to da te. We consider that a more liberal use of arteriography could reverse this tendency, as indeed our case has shown. Furthermore, we feel tha t arteriography is indicated in cases of upper digestive bleeding of o bscure origin, which might be due to small angiomas that may be overlo oked in other diagnostic tests.