Clinical spectrum of patients with infrarenal aortic grafts and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Nineteen patients with a prosthetic infrarenal aortic graft and gastrointestinal bleeding were managed over a 7 year period. Graft-to-enteric fistula, identified in five patients, was the most common cause of bleeding. Other causes included bowel ischemia (four patients) and peptic ulcer disease (three patients). Clinical signs of infection, such as fever and leukocytosis, were common in patients with graft-to-enteric fistula and bowel ischemia. Most of these patients will benefit from a prompt evaluation and expedient operation.