[The Dieulafoy's ulcer (author's transl)].

In the years 1971-1976 five patients with Dieulafoy's ulcer were operated upon succfully in the Innsbruck University Surgical Clinic. A high consumption of alcohol and tobacco was an outstanding feature in the history of all these patients. Gastroscopy is the diagnostic procedure of choice in this disease; it should be done during the acute phase of hemorrhage since the rather minor morphological changes often cannot be detected when they are not bleeding. Occluding the bleeding vessel by stitches is the therapy of choice. Procedure including resections, especially a socalled "blind" resection, do not seem to be justified. If the bleeding vessel cannot be found during endoscopy a large gastrotomy ought to be done with careful inspection especially of the upper third of the stomach. Our patients were followed up to 64 months; they all are well and without complaints. Prognosis thus seems to be very good if a correct diagnosis is established quickly and if surgery is done adequately.