Alexis Bejcek, MD, Anupama Ancha, MD, Tyson Amundsen, MD, Steven Smith, MD, Christopher Johnson, MD, PhD Baylor Scott and White Medical Center, Temple, TX
Introduction: The mortality rate of patients hospitalized with a lower gastrointestinal bleed has been reported at 1.1% in the United States from 2005 to 2014. Pseudoaneurysms, typically associated with pancreatitis, have been described in case reports as a rare condition with a small subset presenting as gastrointestinal bleeding. Our study describes a rare case of recurrent lower gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed as a pseudoaneurysm by endoscopy and angiography.
Case Description/Methods: A 38-year-old male presented to our facility from a long-term care facility with hematochezia and blood clots per gastrostomy-jejunostomy. He had recently been hospitalized for severe coronavirus disease 2019 with a complicated hospital course in the intensive care unit including necrotizing pancreatitis with an abdominal drain, multiple secondary infections, tracheostomy, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy-jejunostomy. On previous hospitalization, he was found to have a small pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery and received embolization of the gastroduodenal and gastroepiploic arteries at that time. During transport to our hospital, he was noted to have tachycardia, hypotension requiring norepinephrine, and was transfused one unit of red blood cells. Hemoglobin at this time was 7.5 g/dl after transfusion. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was completed and showed a gastrojejunostomy tube in the expected location but was noted to be tight to the mucosa, which was pale in appearance. Flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed localized areas of edematous and erythematous mucosa with some associated oozing throughout the sigmoid colon. Repeat evaluation was completed one week later due to recurrent hematochezia. Colonoscopy was performed with identification of an apparent fistulous tract in the sigmoid colon located at 35 cm. Computed tomography angiography localized a pseudoaneurysm arising from the marginal artery of Drummond just proximal to its anastomosis with the ascending branch of the left colic artery and was successfully embolized.
Discussion: Pseudoaneurysms, such as the one described in this case, have been shown to be associated with pancreatitis and can result if a pseudocyst involves adjacent vasculature. Gastrointestinal bleeding is a rare presentation of this condition. However, this case highlights the importance of repeat colonoscopy and angiography in the setting of a lower gastrointestinal bleed of unknown etiology.
Disclosures:
Alexis Bejcek indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Anupama Ancha indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Tyson Amundsen indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Steven Smith indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Christopher Johnson indicated no relevant financial relationships.
Alexis Bejcek, MD, Anupama Ancha, MD, Tyson Amundsen, MD, Steven Smith, MD, Christopher Johnson, MD, PhD. C0352 - Marginal Artery of Drummond Pseudoaneurysm Masquerading as Fistulous Tract Resulting in Recurrent Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding, ACG 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts. Charlotte, NC: American College of Gastroenterology.