Atheromatous embolization to the stomach: an unusual cause of gastrointestinal bleeding.

This is a case report of an 80-year-old female with persistent blood loss from what was initially considered to be "hemorrhagic gastritis." Distal gastrectomy showed extensive atheromatous embolism and resultant ischemic lesions of the stomach--the apparent cause of the chronic bleeding. The patient has remained well without further blood loss during a 15-month follow-up period. While a small number of cases of gastric hemorrhage associated with atheromatous embolism have been reported, they all have been diagnosed at autopsy. This case is unusual in that the lesion was successfully delt with by surgical resection of the involved area.