Dieulafoy's disease: a distinctive arteriovenous malformation causing massive gastric haemorrhage.

Dieulafoy's disease is a distinctive arteriovenous malformation of the gastric fundus, which presents with massive or recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding. The lesion is very small and easily overlooked even at laparotomy, and can only be correctly diagnosed by endoscopy or arteriography if the patient is actively bleeding. A wedge resection will stop bleeding and give histological confirmation of the characteristic submucosal vessels.