HEMOSUCCUS PANCREATICUS AS A SOURCE OF OBSCURE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL-BLEEDING - 3 CASES AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

We report three patients with chronic pancreatitis and recurrent episo des of severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by hemosuccus pan creaticus. No bleeding source could be identified despite repeated end oscopies. In two patients, angiography disclosed a fistula between a p eripancreatic artery and a pancreatic pseudocyst. In one patient, a fi stula between the splenic artery and the pancreatic duct was found int raoperatively. No rebleeding occurred after operation. In cases of obs cure upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, the pancreas should be conside red as a bleeding source, especially in patients with chronic pancreat itis.