Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Aug;8(3-4):201-206.
doi: 10.14740/gr671w. Epub 2015 Jul 22.

The Diagnostic Dilemma of Dieulafoy's Lesion

Rafay Khan  1 , Abdul Mahmad  1 , Mark Gobrial  2 , Francis Onwochei  3 , Kunal Shah  4
Affiliations
Review

The Diagnostic Dilemma of Dieulafoy's Lesion

Rafay Khan et al. Gastroenterology Res. 2015 Aug.

Abstract

Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is a relatively rare condition which carries a significantly high risk for mortality. A tortuous large arteriole in the wall of the stomach can result in significant gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage which can result in detrimental complications. Although it only accounts for about 1% of all GI bleeding, it has been considered to be one of the most underrecognized conditions. This train of thought may unfortunately be related to the difficulty in its diagnosis. After conducting a Medline search of the medical literature, with a focus on current PubMed articles, a thorough examination of updated diagnostic and treatment approaches was compared. Diagnostic techniques in the analysis and treatment of DLs continue to be limited to this day. Endoscopy remains as the main diagnostic and therapeutic tool; however, it continues to have its limitations. Other alternatives include but are not limited to angiography and surgical interventions which at times can be more successful. Diagnostic improvements and research for the detection of DL continue to advance; however, they remain limited in their capabilities. Further analysis and workup needs to be conducted in order to reduce hospital stay and improve survival.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Dieulafoy’s lesion; Endoscopy; Gastrointestinal bleeding; Hemorrhage.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
DL categorized by symptomatic presentation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Location by percentage of Dieulafoy’s lesion within the GI system.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Juler GL, Labitzke HG, Lamb R, Allen R. The pathogenesis of Dieulafoy's gastric erosion. Am J Gastroenterol. 1984;79(3):195–200. - PubMed
    1. Tejero Cebrian E, Garcia Aguilar J, Arias Perez J, Alia Benitez J, Jorge Sanchez E, Duran Sacristan H. Enfermedad de Dieulafoy: unacausarara de hemorragia digestive alta. Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 1987;72:171–172. - PubMed
    1. Senger Jenna-Lynn, Kanthan Rani. The Evolution of Dieulafoy's Lesion Since 1897: Then and Now—A Journey through the Lens of a Pediatric Lesion with Literature Review. Gastroenterology Research and Practice. 2012;2012:432517. doi: 10.1155/2012/432517. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dieulafoy G. In: Clinique Medicale de l'HotelDieu de Paris. Dieulafoy G, editor. Masson et Cie; Paris, France: 1898. Exulceratio simplex: lecons 1-3; pp. 1–38.
    1. Stark ME, Gostout CJ, Balm RK. Clinical features and endoscopic management of Dieulafoy's disease. Gastrointest Endosc. 1992;38(5):545–550. doi: 10.1016/S0016-5107(92)70513-6. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources