[Acute gastro-intestinal hemorrhage from a duodenal ulcer during labour and delivery (author's transl)].

A 38 year old gravida 3, para 3, was delivered by Caesarean Section because of acute gastro-intestinal bleeding and a duodenal ulcer was treated by hemostatic sutures at the same time. An elective gastrectomy was performed twelve months later. Severe gastro-intestinal hemorrhage during labour and delivery is rare. There are no hard rules for the timing of early diagnostic localization and identification of the source of the bleeding and for the choice of timing of a surgical procedure. This problem is more difficult when the source of the bleedings is rare and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are hampered by concomitant conditions such as the overriding considerations for the maternal and fetal welfare in our case.