A 55-year-old male diagnosed case of ethanol-related chronic pancreatitis presented with frequent episodes of melena associated with paroxysms of abdominal pain. He was given blood transfusions elsewhere for severe anemia. As patient had persistent GI bleeding with repeated drop in hemoglobin, he was referred for further evaluation and management. On clinical examination, he had profuse sweating, hypotension, tachycardia, severe pallor and mild tenderness in the epigastrium. His laboratory investigations revealed hemoglobin of 7.1 g% and hematocrit of 22%, mild renal failure and increased serum triglycerides. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen showed evidence of chronic calcifying pancreatitis (). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with a standard scope and colonoscopy were normal. Repeat esophagogastroduodenoscopy with a standard scope after an episode of melena showed active bleeding from the ampulla (). Angiographic study could not localize the site of bleeding. Endoscopic ultrasound showed chronic pancreatitis with a heterogeneous inflammatory lesion in the body of the pancreas (). As the bleeding source could not be localized and the patient had ongoing melena and drop in hemoglobin, emergency exploratory laparotomy was performed after initial hemodynamic stabilization. Pancreas was seen adherent to splenic vessels and hilum. There was evidence of splenic vein rupturing into the main pancreatic duct. Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. The patient had an uneventful recovery postoperatively. Postoperative histology demonstrated chronic calcifying pancreatitis (), lymphnodes with reactive hyperplasia and congested spleen (). He was discharged in a hemodynamically stable condition and there was no further recurrence of GI bleeding after 6 months of follow up.
A 38-year-old male complaining of recurrent episodes of melena for the past 2 weeks was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital. Two days before the hospital visit, the patient had complained of the presence of blood in vomiting and had a history of recurrent complaints of upper abdominal pain often radiating to the back. His previous medical history revealed that he had suffered from chronic pancreatitis for 3 years before present admission, possibly due to alcohol abuse. He was resuscitated with the blood and intravenous fluid for melena during present admission. Ultrasonography (USG) whole abdomen revealed a moderately enlarged liver (18.5 cm × 12.3 cm) with heterogeneous echotexture, with a prominent portal vein, of size 1.3 cm; hepatic and splenic hilar collaterals were suggestive of portal hypertension. The presence of mild ascites was documented. Transabdominal USG showed echogenic pancreas with multiple, small, hyperechoic, nonshadowing foci in the pancreas suggestive of fibrotic changes. There was evidence of irregular dilated main pancreatic duct with pancreatic and intraductal calculi. These features were consistent with chronic pancreatitis. The findings were suggestive of alcoholic liver disease with portal hypertension and chronic obstructive pancreatitis. After resuscitation, upper GI endoscopy was performed on two different occasions that showed bleeding from the second part of the duodenum with an abnormal tortuous vessel at the ampulla of Vater. This was diagnosed as hemosuccus pancreaticus, which might have caused the bleeding []. Serendipitously during the endoscopy, a worm was also found penetrating the mucosa of the duodenum. The worm was retrieved and referred to the laboratory for identification. It was a single intact live worm (size 12.3 mm × 0.3 mm) reddish pink, with head bent in the same direction of the body curvature with a spine at the posterior end []. The buccal capsule had six teeth (four hook-like on ventral surface and two knob-like on dorsal surface) []. The live worm was seen to lay eggs while examining under the microscope []. Three consecutive stool samples of the patients were examined. The stool sample was dark-colored, semi-solid in consistency without any parasitic elements. Wet mount examination of stool revealed nonbile-stained ova (60– 65 μm in length, 40– 45 μm in width) with transparent hyaline shell membrane containing blastomeres. The above morphological features of the worm and micrometry of the ova were consistent with Ancylostoma duodenale. For further confirmation and to exclude the probability of mixed infection with Strongyloides stercoralis, the modified Harada– Mori nematode larval culture method[] was performed, and larva of hookworm was retrieved after 1 week of incubation at ambient room temperature. However, duodenal biopsy could not be done to rule out this possibility.\nThe patient was a chronic alcoholic and had deranged liver functions. Other laboratory test revealed low hemoglobin (5.6 g/dL), elevated total leukocyte count (12,300/μl) with increased eosinophils (neutrophils - 54%, lymphocytes – 24%, eosinophils – 16%, and monocytes – 6%), hyperbilirubinemia (total serum bilirubin 12.5 mg% and conjugated bilirubin 11.7 mg%), alanine transaminase/aspartate transaminase (87.7/90 IU), serum alkaline phosphatase (827 IU/L), hypoalbuminemia (2.3 g%), and raised serum globulin (3.9 g%) with reversal of albumin:globulin ratio. Blood and urine cultures were bacteriologically sterile. Peripheral blood smear examination showed microcytic, hypochromic anemia, with the absence of any hemoparasites. The patient was planned for contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen, but the course of illness was rapidly fatal, and he succumbed to the illness within 48 h of admission, hindering further investigative course. The cause of death was unexplained shock secondary to upper GI bleeding precipitated by chronic, alcoholic liver disease with chronic pancreatitis and portal hypertension.