[Rupture of splenic artery pseudoaneurysm: an unusual cause of upper gastrointetinal bleeding].

BACKGROUND

Bleeding from a pancreatic pseudocyst is a severe complication after pancreatitis that can lead to a massive gastrointestinal blood loss. Pseudocyst rupture into the stomach is an unusual complication.

CLINICAL CASE

We report the case of a 34-year-old woman with a history of alcoholism and a pancreatic pseudocyst. One year after follow-up of her pseudocyst, she arrived at the emergency room with an episode of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. An upper digestive endoscopy showed active bleeding in the subcardial fundus, which could not be endoscopically controlled. Abdominal angio-CT confirmed the diagnosis of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm in close contact with the back wall of the stomach, as well as a likely fistulization of it. The patient was urgently operated and a distal splenopancreatectomy and fistulorrhaphy was performed.

CONCLUSION

The rupture of a splenic artery pseudoaneurysm may rarely present as upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This may be lethal if not urgently treated.