Duodenal varices as an unusual cause of gastrointestinal bleeding due to portal hypertension: a case report.

Duodenal varices that develop in patients with portal hypertension rarely cause hemorrhage, but varix rupture is a serious and often fatal event. We report the case of a 38-year-old man with hepatic vein occlusion who was referred to our hospital for gastrointestinal hemorrhage of unknown origin. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed varices in the distal third of the duodenum. These varices were identified as the source of the bleeding. The patient was treated with endoscopic band ligation, and with coil embolization of a shunt between the superior mesenteric vein and the left renal vein.