Rupture of a bleeding pancreatic pseudocyst into the stomach

Abstract

A bleeding pancreatic pseudocyst following pancreatitis is a severe complication that can lead to massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Rupture of such a pseudocyst into the stomach is rare. We report herein a case of rupture of a bleeding pseudocyst into the stomach in a patient who was successfully treated with emergency surgery. A 60-year-old Japanese man with a history of chronic alcoholic pancreatitis with a pancreatic tail pseudocyst was referred to us because of hematemesis. The cavity of the pseudocyst, which was 3 cm in size and whose wall adhered to the stomach, was enhanced by dynamic bolus computed tomography (CT) in the late arterial phase. Splenic angiography revealed a bleeding pseudocyst in the splenic hilum. Embolization of the pseudocyst failed, because of arterial spasm. A distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, and total gastrectomy were performed. The wall of the pseudocyst consisted of the pancreatic tail, granulation tissue, and the posterior wall of the stomach. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. In the management of massive bleeding from a pseudocyst, early diagnosis with dynamic bolus CT and angiography is essential. A bleeding pseudocyst should be considered to be a lethal complication, but it can possibly be treated with a combination of angiographic embolization and surgery.