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Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
1
What is upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB)?
Bleeding from a gastrointestinal (GI) source proximal to the ligament of Treitz (i.e., from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum).
2
What is the ligament of Treitz?
It is a thin, suspensory muscle that extends from the left crus of the diaphragm to the junction of the duodenum and jejunum. It is named for the Austrian physician Wenzel Treitz.
3
What are the most common causes of UGIB?
Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is the most common cause of UGIB. Esophageal and gastric varices and esophagitis are the next most common.
4
What are some less common causes of UGIB?
Upper GI cancers, vascular malformations, Mallory-Weiss tears, and Dieulafoy’s lesions.
5
What is a Dieulafoy’s lesion?
A tortuous, submucosal artery that protrudes through the mucosa and can cause massive UGIB. It is most commonly found in the gastric fundus, but other locations throughout the GI tract have been described. It is named after the French surgeon Paul Georges Dieulafoy.
6
What are some unusual causes of UGIB?
Aortoenteric fistula and hemosuccus pancreaticus.
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