Marginal Ulcer Following Completion Pancreatectomy Complicated by Portal Vein Erosion

Abstract

Marginal ulcers, defined as ulcers at the duodenojejunostomy or gastrojejunostomy, are a known late-onset complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and total pancreatectomy (TP) with mean incidence ranging from 5.4% to 36% per the literature. These ulcers carry a risk of complications including hemorrhage or perforation which can result in significant mortality. Marginal ulcers from PD and TP causing portal vein erosion are extremely rare and given the high incidence of mortality, it is important to have a multimodal approach to the treatment with awareness that early operative management should be considered if other modalities fail. We discuss the case of a 57-year-old female with history of pancreatic tail intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) status post distal pancreatectomy/splenectomy and subsequent completion pancreatectomy for pancreatic head IPMN who presented with acute gastrointestinal bleed. The patient was successfully managed operatively with primary repair of the marginal ulcer after multiple failed endoscopic attempts.