Objective -Massive gastrointestinal bleeding in children is rare. A Dieulafoy lesion is an uncommon condition which may lead to massive and repeated upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We report a pediatric case of gastric Dieulafoy lesion which was successfully treated surgically, after repeated unsuccessful endoscopic treatment. Case Report -A previously healthy 13-year-old boy presented with hematemesis upon admission to the hospital. He had tachycardia and mild anemia. A gastroscopy revealed erosive gastritis. During the following days, hematemesis continued to reoccur and consequently led to the development of hemorrhagic shock requiring endoscopic treatment with hemoclipping and adrenalin injection. Despite that, hematemesis continued, and it was decided to perform surgical treatment. During open surgery, a tortuous blood vessel was found, suggesting a Dieulafoy lesion. Conclusion -Although rare, a Dieulafoy lesion should be suspected when treating repeating hematemesis in children. Endoscopic treatment is recommended as first-line management, but rarely, in unclear cases, surgery proves to be a better diagnostic and therapeutic option for massive gastrointestinal bleeding.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.