Massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by rupture of a jejunal branch artery aneurysm.

Aneurysms located in the arterial tree that directly supplies the alimentary tract account for a small percentage of all aneurysms. Jejunal branch artery aneurysms are an uncommon component of this group, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage from such an aneurysm has rarely been described. We report a case of a jejunal branch artery aneurysm appearing as sudden and massive gastrointestinal bleeding in a 28-year-old man. Diagnosis was made by selective superior mesenteric artery angiography, and the patient underwent successful segmental resection of the involved area of jejunum. The pertinent literature is reviewed.