Haemosuccus pancreaticus describes the syndrome of gastrointestinal bleeding into the pancreatic duct, manifested by blood loss through the ampulla of Vater. It has been confined mainly to small series or isolated case reports in patients with chronic pancreatitis with pseudocysts. Endoscopy is useful mostly to exclude other sources of hemorrhage but visualization of bleeding from the papilla is a rare event. A case in herein reported of a patient, suffering from bleeding into the pancreatic duct, who had a history of recurrent, chronic pancreatitis with pseudocysts for 6 months. During duodenoscopic examination, bleeding from the papilla of Vater was identified, however the alternative cause was not suggestive. In alcoholic pancreatitis, recurrent eipsodes of acute pancreatitis with pancreatic ductal hemorrhage is a natural history, so resection of the affected segment of the pancreas can be the treatment of choice. A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was performed.
Ampulla of Vater ; Endoscopy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Natural History ; Pancreas ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Alcoholic ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Splenectomy