Caliber-persistent artery of the stomach (Dieulafoy's vascular malformation).

Caliber-persistent artery of the stomach (also known as cirsoid aneurysm, Dieulafoy's lesion, and submucosal arterial malformation) is clinically manifested as recurrent, massive, often fatal hematemesis. The lesion often is not seen endoscopically. Left gastric angiography in one patient with hematemesis showed a convoluted and ectatic artery in the gastric fundus, which proved to be caliber-persistent artery of the stomach on pathological examination. The tortuosity of the abnormal vessel in this condition has been attributed to artefactual contraction of the stomach following excision and formalin fixation. This is the first reported case in which a pathologically proven lesion has been clearly visualized by angiography. This demonstrates that the submucosal vessel is truly and not artifactually sinuous. It is proposed that angiographic demonstration of a nontapering, convoluted artery in the territory of the left gastric artery is highly suggestive of caliber-persistent artery of the stomach.