Visceral artery pseudoaneurysms secondary to pancreatitis : Three case reports. Discussion

Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is an infrequent complication of acute and chronic forms of pancreatitis. Aneurysmal degeneration of contiguous splanchnic arteries due to pancreatic inflammation, with subsequent rupture into the intestinal lumen is a rare occurrence. These vascular lesions present major clinical problems, both in terms of timely diagnosis and appropriate surgical therapy. The authors report 3 cases of bleeding visceral artery pseudoaneurysms (2 cases of pancreaticoduodenal pseudoaneurysms and 1 case of gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm) secondary to pancreatitis. Early diagnosis was possible because of angiographic evaluation, resulting in timely surgical intervention.