Introduction
Massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a serious and often fatal condition, requiring the joint efforts of the physician and the surgeon. Prompt recognition of uncontrolled hemorrhage warrants the immediate attendance of a surgeon. Although the great majority of gastrointestinal hemorrhages are due to peptic ulcer, esophageal varices, carcinoma of the stomach, and gastritis, there is a small group of cases for which surgery is mandatory. Rupture of an aortic aneurysm into the gastrointestinal tract has infrequently been reported, and only recently has a patient with one survived.20 The occurrence of an aneurysm developing in an aortic homograft with subsequent rupture into the gastrointestinal tract has not previously been reported, to our knowledge. The following report represents such a case with survival.
Report of a Case
The patient, aged 70, was first admitted to Seaside Memorial Hospital on March 5, 1958, at 6:50 p. m. Four hours prior to admission