TY - JOUR
T1 - Massive upper GI bleeding
T2 - A rare complication of Zenker's diverticulum
AU - Haas, I.
AU - Gutman, M.
AU - Paran, H.
PY - 2008/7/1
Y1 - 2008/7/1
N2 - Bleeding from a Zenker's diverticulum is rare. A 71-year-old man was urgently admitted with massive hematemesis. It was known that he had a Zenker's diverticulum, but on emergency endoscopy, the source of bleeding was not detected due to large blood clots in the esophagus, hypo-pharynx and also into the tracheal-bronchial tree. Computerized tomography angiography demonstrated a blush of intravenous contrast arising from the diverticulum. The patient was operated upon urgently; the diverticle had a deep ulceration which was the source of the bleeding. The cause of the ulceration is unknown but it is possible that it was caused by the direct effect of an aspirin pill within the diverticle. A similar case with the same conclusion has been published in the past and since the use of aspirin has become common, especially in the elder population, we present this case report to highlight this possible life-threatening complication of Zenker's diverticulum in patients receiving aspirin.
AB - Bleeding from a Zenker's diverticulum is rare. A 71-year-old man was urgently admitted with massive hematemesis. It was known that he had a Zenker's diverticulum, but on emergency endoscopy, the source of bleeding was not detected due to large blood clots in the esophagus, hypo-pharynx and also into the tracheal-bronchial tree. Computerized tomography angiography demonstrated a blush of intravenous contrast arising from the diverticulum. The patient was operated upon urgently; the diverticle had a deep ulceration which was the source of the bleeding. The cause of the ulceration is unknown but it is possible that it was caused by the direct effect of an aspirin pill within the diverticle. A similar case with the same conclusion has been published in the past and since the use of aspirin has become common, especially in the elder population, we present this case report to highlight this possible life-threatening complication of Zenker's diverticulum in patients receiving aspirin.
KW - Aspirin
KW - Bleeding
KW - Mucosal ulceration
KW - Zenker's diverticulum
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=47549102593&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4103/0022-3859.41804
DO - 10.4103/0022-3859.41804
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
C2 - 18626170
AN - SCOPUS:47549102593
SN - 0022-3859
VL - 54
SP - 209
EP - 210
JO - Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
JF - Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
IS - 3
ER -