Hemosuccus pancreaticus caused by a primary splenic artery aneurysm as a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding: report of a case

Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis. It is defined as hemorrhage from the papilla of Vater via the pancreatic duct. A 77-year-old man presented with a history of intermittent episodes of hematemesis and abdominal pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed no obvious bleeding point, but clots were seen in the stomach and duodenum. Computed tomography (CT) showed a splenic artery aneurysm, and we diagnosed hemosuccus pancreaticus caused by rupture of the aneurysm into the main pancreatic duct. We performed distal pancreatectomy, during which we found the splenic artery aneurysm with thrombus in the pancreatic tail. Angiography of the resected specimen showed the splenic artery aneurysm and the communication with the main pancreatic duct. Microscopic examination revealed a true aneurysm of the splenic artery. Interventional radiology is commonly performed for diagnosis and treatment, but arterial embolization has a high recurrence rate. Thus, surgery is still required for hemosuccus pancreaticus.     

Rupture of a splenic artery aneurysm into the pancreatic duct. Case report

A 71-year-old woman was admitted to a local hospital with abdominal pain and repeated haematemeses and melaena. Plain X-ray of the abdomen showed a cystic mass with a calcified wall behind the stomach. No bleeding point in the stomach or duodenum was found at gastroscopy. Over a period of 28 days she had five episodes of gastrointestinal haemorrhage with no drop in blood pressure. She was transferred to the regional hospital 26 days after admission. Angiography showed a splenic artery aneurysm 5 x 10 cm, which at operation was found to have ruptured into the pancreatic duct. The aneurysm, the tail of the pancreas and the spleen were removed, and she made an uneventful recovery.     

Splenic vein aneurysm: is it a surgical indication?

Splenic vein aneurysms are rare and are usually caused by portal hypertension. Symptoms are unusual, but may include rupture or abdominal pain. Diagnosis can usually be made either by means of duplex ultrasonography or computed tomography scanning. Treatment varies from noninvasive follow-up to aneurysm excision. We report an expanding splenic vein aneurysm in a young woman with abdominal and back pain and no history of portal hypertension. She was treated with aneurysm excision and splenectomy.     

Pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma presenting as splenic rupture: report of a case

A 58-year-old female patient presented with the sudden onset of left upper quadrant pain. The physical examination revealed the presence of shock status. Abdominal computed tomography revealed splenomegaly with a huge mass inside the spleen, and massive fluid collection in the abdominal cavity. After splenic artery embolization, laparotomy was performed. The operative findings revealed intra-abdominal hemorrhage and rupture of the lower pole of the spleen. Furthermore, a palpable solid mass was observed at the splenic hilum, and distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. The macroscopic findings revealed a pancreatic tail tumor at the splenic hilum directly invading the splenic parenchyma. Microscopic examinations showed the tumor to consist of squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, old and new thrombi were observed inside small splenic arteries. These findings were considered to represent invasion of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma to the spleen, and rupture of the spleen was attributed to splenic ischemia resulting from cancer invasion and splenic vein obstruction.     

Spontaneous splenic rupture in the second quarter of pregnancy

We report the case of a 33 year-old woman at the second quarter of pregnancy, with known brain aneurysm admitted in intensive care unit for sudden coma. The coma was not related to a rupture of the brain aneurysm but to a serious haemorrhagic shock caused by a spontaneous splenic rupture. This case report illustrates the difficulty of this unrecognized diagnosis and reminds us to suspect a spontaneous splenic rupture in front of any pregnant woman with atypic abdominal pain and haemorrhagic shock.     

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to rupture of a splenic vein aneurysm: A case report

Splenic vein aneurysm (SVA) is extremely rare. Most patients with an SVA have portal hypertension. In this report we describe the first recorded case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to rupture of an SVA in a patient without evidence of portal hypertension. A 72-year-old man was admitted to our medical center in a state of shock, with complaints of acute abdominal pain and abdominal distention. Preoperatively, abdominal ultrasonography demonstrated an echo-free space in the abdomen, suggesting the presence of a fluid collection. In addition, computed tomography revealed an enhanced lesion with contrast material in the pancreatic tail. An emergency operation showed bleeding from the SVA near the pancreatic tail. Consequently, a distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. Histologically the lesion was diagnosed as an SVA surrounded by pancreatic tissue with chronic inflammatory changes. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful.     

Spontaneous Rupture of the Spleen in Relation to a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

A 35-year-old man was admitted for surgery with complaints of left upper abdominal quadrant pain, tachycardia and hypotension with no history of trauma. A splenomegaly had just been diagnosed one week before, during, the work up for asthenia. An immediate CT scan revealed an intraperitoneal haemorrhage with splenic rupture. During emergency laparotomy, a splenic rupture was found and a splenectomy was performed. Histopathology of the spleen confirmed the diagnosis of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma.     

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen in relation to a non-Hodgkin lymphoma

A 35-year-old man was admitted for surgery with complaints of left upper abdominal quadrant pain, tachycardia and hypotension with no history of trauma. A splenomegaly had just been diagnosed one week before, during, the work up for asthenia. An immediate CT scan revealed an intraperitoneal haemorrhage with splenic rupture. During emergency laparotomy, a splenic rupture was found and a splenectomy was performed. Histopathology of the spleen confirmed the diagnosis of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma.     

Splenic artery aneurysm rupture in pregnancy

A multigravid patient was admitted at 34 weeks with abdominal pain, signs of hypovolaemia and an intrauterine death. Ultrasonography and paracentesis revealed bleeding into the peritoneal cavity. The diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysm rupture was considered. Energetic resuscitation and a multidisciplinary approach to surgery allowed a sacular splenic artery aneurysm to be tied off with preservation of both the spleen and the mother's life.     

Spontaneous iliac vein rupture: case report and literature review

Spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein is a rare cause of exsanguinating haemorrhage. A case is described of a 66 year old woman who required immediate resuscitation in Accident and Emergency following a 24 hour history of left leg and lower quadrant abdominal pain. Emergency laparotomy revealed a 2 cm tear in the left iliac vein. The previously reported cases are reviewed, together with discussion of the patterns of presentation and possible underlying causes.     

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen as a rare complication of chronic calcifying pancreatitis

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen is a rare complication of chronic calcifying pancreatitis. Anaemia and haemorrhagic shock may occur but pain is the first symptom making diagnosis more difficult. We report the case of a 32-year-old man suffering from chronic pancreatic pathology who developed a spontaneous splenic rupture. He complained of abdominal pain without haemorrhagic shock. An abdominal CT-scan revealed a rupture of the spleen with a haemoperitoneum.     

Insulinoma occurring in association with fatty replacement of unknown etiology in the pancreas: Report of a case

A 66-year-old woman with a 10-year-history of diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital for investigation of several recent attacks of hypoglycemia. Her fasting blood glucose level was very low, at 30–40 mg/dl, and abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a tumor in the pancreatic tail with fatty changes. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography revealed absence of the main pancreatic duct from the body to tail of the pancreas. Abdominal angiography showed a hypervascular tumor stain in the pancreas, and percutaneous transhepatic portal vein sampling demonstrated a step-up of immunoreactive insulin levels in the splenic vein. Based on these clinical findings, we made a preoperative diagnosis of an insulinoma accompanied by fatty changes in the pancreatic body and tail. During laparotomy for the insulinoma, fat tissue was identified in the anatomic location of the pancreatic body and tail, and resected. Pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a number of Langerhans islets in the adipose tissue, and an islet cell tumor with fatty replacement of the pancreatic tissue around the tumor. The insulinoma was found not to have caused obstruction of the main pancreatic duct. We present herein a rare case of an insulinoma that developed in the pancreas, and was associated with fatty replacement of unknown etiology. Received: August 9, 1999 / Accepted: May 30, 2000     

A rare case of serous cystadenoma of the pancreas presenting with left-sided portal hypertension

We herein report the case of a 63-year-old woman with a serous cystadenoma of the pancreas presenting with left-sided portal hypertension secondary to isolated splenic vein occlusion. She was admitted to our hospital for sudden hematemesis. Emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed hemorrhagic erosive gastritis and isolated varices in the gastric fundus. An abdominal angiographic study disclosed a large hypervascular tumor of the pancreatic tail which caused isolated splenic vein occlusion by tumor compression and formed large hepatopetal collaterals via the gastric varices. The patient underwent tumor resection with splenectomy and, as a result, the gastric varices disappeared and the postoperative course was uneventful. Left-sided portal hypertension secondary to splenic vein occlusion is an uncommon complication mostly associated with pancreatitis and pancreatic carcinoma. Although benign pancreatic neoplasms only rarely cause such a condition, the possibility of gastrointestinal bleeding due to this condition should be carefully taken into consideration when treating pancreatic disease.     

Spleen-preserving laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy after division of the splenic vessels

A 37-year-old woman with a history of syncope was hospitalized with a diagnosis of hypoglycemia due to insulinoma. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhanced solid mass, 1.5 cm in diameter, at the tail of the pancreas. Angiography via the splenic artery revealed a hypervascular mass. Because the tumor was located deep in the pancreatic parenchyma, laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy was performed. The pancreas was exposed by dissecting the greater omentum, and the tumor was located by intraoperative ultrasonography. After division of the splenic artery, the pancreas, main pancreatic duct, and splenic vein were transected with an endoscopic linear stapler. The pancreatic pedicle was divided at the splenic hilum to preserve the spleen. The postoperative course was uneventful except for the appearance of splenic infarction on a CT scan 2 weeks after surgery but without any overt symptoms. Spleen-preserving laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy by division of splenic vessels is a feasible treatment option for benign pancreatic disease.     

A case of hemosuccus pancreaticus associated with chronic pancreatitis

The term "hemosuccus pancreaticus" was coined by Sandblom in 1970, to describe a syndrome manifested by massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage through the pancreatic duct and the ampulla of water. A case of hemosuccus pancreaticus which had no hematemesis and melena is reported in comparison with two previously experienced cases. A 68-year-old alcoholic man was referred to Eiju General Hospital for poor appetite and occasional colicky pain in left epigastrium. Abdominal angiography and computed tomography revealed an aneurysm at the tail of the pancreas and hemosuccus pancreaticus caused by true aneurysm was strongly suspected. Laparotomy revealed chronic pancreatitis and a pancreatic pseudocyst at the tail of the pancreas that was considered to be the cause of the pain. Resection of pancreatic tail and splenectomy was performed without complication. Histopathological diagnosis of the resected pancreas was chronic pancreatitis. He has complained no abdominal pain and melena for 6 months after operation.     

Spontaneous common iliac vein rupture: a case report

A 68-year-old woman, admitted because of acute lower quadrant abdominal pain but no history of trauma, underwent laparotomy for a suspected ruptured aortic aneurysm. Exploration revealed a 20-mm longitudinal tear in the left iliac vein. The vein was repaired primarily. Her postoperative course was complicated by deep vein thrombosis. Spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein without trauma is rare. but occurs predominantly in healthy white women between the ages of 40 and 80 years. Various causative mechanisms have been described: inflammation of the vessel wall secondary to thrombophlebitis, proximal obstruction of the iliac vein and spontaneous rupture without obstruction or thrombosis. In many cases an increase in intra-abdominal pressure is noted.     

Right hemothorax: an unusual presentation of ruptured infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm

The authors describe what they believe is the first reported case of rupture of an infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm into the right pleural cavity. A 75-year-old woman presented simultaneously with two common causes of severe abdominal pain and hypotension: perforated duodenal ulcer and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The absence of an infrarenal retroperitoneal hematoma delayed the diagnosis of rupture of the abdominal aortic aneurysm and the terminal event was exsanguination into the right pleural cavity through an erosion in the right hemidiaphragm.     

Splenic artery aneurysms

Although the third most frequent aneurysm in the abdomen, after aneurysms of the aorta and iliac arteries, and most frequent aneurisms of visceral arteries, splenic artery aneurysms are rare, but not very rare. Thanks to the new imaging techniques, first of all ultrasonography, they have been discovered with increasing frequency. We present a series of 9 splenic artery aneurysms. Seven patients were female and two male of average age 49 years (ranging from 28 to 75 years). The majority of afected women were multiparae, with average 3 children (ranging from 1 to 6). One patient had a subacute rupture, and 2 had ruptures into the splenic vein causing portal hypertension. The spleen was enlarged in 7 out of 9 patients. The average size of aneurysms was 3,2 cm (ranging from 2 to 8 cm). The preoperative diagnosis of splenic artery aneurysm was established in 6 patients while in 3 patients aneurism was accidentally found during other operations, during splenectomy in 2, and during the excision of a retroperitoneal tumour in 1 patient. Aneurysmectomy was carried out in 7 patients, while a ligation of the incoming and outcoming wessels was performed in 2 patients with arteriovenous fistula. Splenectomy was performed in 6 patients, while pancreatic tail resection, cholecystectomy and excision of the retroperitoneal tumor were performed in 3 patients. Additional resection of the abdominal aortic aneurysm with reconstruction of aortoiliac segment was performed in 2 patients. There were no mortality and the postoperative recovery was uneventful in all patients.     

Splenic artery aneurysm--a rare cause for extrahepatic portal venous obstruction: a case report

Splenic artery aneurysm is a rare yet very important clinical entity because of its potential for rupture with fatal consequences. Most of the splenic artery aneurysms are found in the middle and distal third of the splenic artery and are usually small (< or = 2 cm) at the time of diagnosis. We describe a rare case of large (5x4 cm) juxta-ostial splenic artery aneurysm causing compression of the splenoportal confluence and adjoining proximal portal vein in a 40-year-old woman.     

Nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor presenting with hemorrhage from isolated gastric varices

Hemorrhage from gastric varices due to left-sided portal hypertension is an unusual presentation for pancreatic endocrine tumor. A case of pancreatic endocrine tumor presenting with gastric variceal hemorrhage secondary to left-sided portal hypertension associated with splenic vein occlusion is presented. A 53-year-old man with hemorrhage from isolated gastric varices was referred to our hospital. Laboratory studies revealed normal liver function. Surveys to identify the cause of gastric varices by an abdominal CT, MRCP, and abdominal angiography revealed splenic vein occlusion secondarily attributed to the pancreatic tail tumor and splenomegaly. The pancreatic tumor was suspected to be a resectable endocrine tumor. A distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy, partial resection of the gastric fundus, and limited lymph node dissection were performed. By the histological examination, the diagnosis of nonfunctioning pancreatic endocrine tumor with malignant potential was determined. Three years after the surgery, the patient is doing well and reveals no sign of recurrence. In this case, the unusual presentation for pancreatic endocrine tumors such as a gastric variceal hemorrhage had an advantage that led to early presentation prior to the development of metastases with possible curative surgery.