GASTROINTESTINAL-BLEEDING SECONDARY TO AO RTOENTERIC FISTULA IN 2 PATIENTS UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS

We describe two patients with chronic renal failure receiving hemodial ysis (HD) who each experienced massive gastrointestinal bleeding secon dary to aortic graft-enteric fistula. In the first case the diagnosis was made during surgical intervention. Because of a high degree of sus picion, a computed tomography (CT) was made in the other case and suge stive findings for aorto-enteric fistula were found. We report the cli nical course and characteristics of this uncommon complication of aort ic reconstructive surgery with prosthetic grafts now commonly employed for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. We suggest that some factors associated from hemodialysis such as malnutrition, use of hep arin and administration of calcium channel blockers may predispose to this complication. Awareness of this complication should facilitate di agnosis and reduce mortality.