ABSTRACT
Bleeding duodenal varices are a rare complication in patients with portal hypertension. Cirrhosis followed by portal vein obstruction and splenic vein obstruction are the most common causes. Although the prognosis of bleeding duodenal varices is usually poor, an awareness of its characteristic presentation may enable diagnostic and therapeutic proce- dures to be performed rapidly with an increased likelihood of a reaching successful out- come. In this study, we report a case of bleeding duodenal varices in a 23-year-old woman with idiopathic portal hypertension who was also suffering with recurrent melena. Panendoscopy identified prominant tortuous varices with central erosion in the 3rd portion of the duodenum and no esophageal and gastric varices. The varices were successfully treated by distal splenorenal shunt.