Aetiology by frequency
Most commonly an upper gastrointestinal bleed is a result of:
- chronic peptic ulcer:
- duodenal ulcer (40%)
- gastric ulcer (20%)
- acute peptic ulcer (30%)
Less commonly:
- Mallory-Weiss syndrome
- gastric erosions
Rarely, the following causes will be found:
- oesophageal / gastric varices, e.g. in portal hypertension
- erosive oesophagitis, e.g. due to a hiatus hernia
- duodenitis
- gastric carcinoma
- bleeding diathesis
- hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
- pseudoxanthoma elasticum
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- pseudohaematemesis
- small bowel disease, e.g. a very rare tumour
- pancreatitis
- haemobilia, i.e. bleeding from the gall bladder or biliary tree
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