Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Caused by Pancreatic Diseases:Clinical Analysis of 22 Cases / 胃肠病学

ABSTRACT

Background:With the deepening of researches on etiology of gastrointestinal bleeding,bleeding caused by pancreatic diseases has been understood better by the clinicians. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB)is an uncommon but highly lethal complication of pancreatic diseases. Aims:To analyze the clinical characteristics of UGIB caused by pancreatic diseases for improving the diagnosis and management of this condition. Methods:A total of 22 inpatients who were diagnosed as UGIB caused by pancreatic diseases from Sep. 2010 to Sep. 2016 at Daping Hospital,the Third Military Medical University were recruited and analyzed retrospectively. Results:There were 15 males and 7 females;the disease was more prevalent in young patients than in middle-aged and elderly patients (45. 5% vs. 31. 8% and 22. 7%). The top five causes of bleeding were as follows:stress ulcer related to acute pancreatitis (36. 4%),pancreatic pseudocysts related to chronic pancreatitis (18. 2%),severe acute pancreatitis (13. 6%),post-operative bleeding related to pancreatic surgery (9. 1%)and left-sided portal hypertension (9. 1%). The diagnosis was commonly made by gastroscopy, abdominal contrast-enhanced CT and angiography. Ten patients received medical therapy only,6 were treated by surgical operation,5 by endoscopic hemostasis,and 1 by angioembolization. Hemostasis was achieved in 18 patients (81. 8%), and rebleeding occurred in 4 patients,of which two received medical therapy initially. Two elderly patients died of uncontrollable bleeding and multiple organ failure,respectively. Conclusions:UGIB caused by pancreatic diseases are prone to occur in young and middle-aged males. Pancreatitis and its complications are the major cause of this condition. Medical therapy is ineffective for most of the patients and a multidisciplinary approach of endoscopy,transarterial intervention and surgery is recommended.