[Dieulafoy's disease--an uncommon cause of severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage].

Morbus Dieulafoy described in the European literature as exulceratio simplex, in the English and American literature as a gastric aneurysm or submucosal arterial malformation is a life endangering haemorrhage which, if treated conservatively, leads to death by exsanguination. It is haemorrhage from an aroded medium-sized or major artery with a possible mucosal defect with a minimal or no inflammatory reaction. The localization on the anterior or posterior wall of the fundus or body of the stomach is typical. There are, however, also cases of haemorrhage from a submucosal artery in other parts of the GIT--pylorus or even jejunum (3, 5). In the presented case-history the authors describe an atypically located source of haemorrhage in a parapapillary position on the descendent part of the duodenum.