Hemosuccus Pancreaticus in a 50-Year-Old Male with Chronic Pancreatitis. A Case Report

Georgina Lasoi,1 Faith Ameda,1 Rita Nassanga,1 Edrine Mulema,2 Innocent Luwaga,2 Kevina Etoru Anyumel2 1Department of Radiology, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda; 2Department of Medicine, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, UgandaCorrespondence: Georgina Lasoi, Department of Radiology, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, PO Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda, Email [email protected]: Hemosuccus pancreaticus (HP) is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, characterized by bleeding into the GI tract via the pancreatic duct and major papilla. It often occurs in conjunction with chronic pancreatitis and the development of pseudoaneurysms in the vessels near the pancreas. This association is attributed to the close proximity of these vessels, such as the splenic and gastroduodenal arteries, to the pancreatic parenchyma and duct, making them susceptible to pancreatic enzyme damage. The patient was a 50-year-old male with a known history of chronic alcoholism and pancreatitis who had recurrent admissions due to abdominal pain, hematemesis, melena stools, early satiety, and anemia. On admission, his hemoglobin level was 3.6 g/dL, and he exhibited deranged liver function test results. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT done showed a complex, heterodense mass in the pancreatic head.Keywords: hemosuccus pancreaticus, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic pancreatitis, pseudoaneurysm