Dieulafoy's lesion is an uncommon cause of gastric bleeding said to cause about 5% of all gastric bleeds in adults. It was named after a French surgeon who described this condition as “exulceratio simplex ” in 1898.

Patients with Dieulafoy's lesion have an erosion of the gastric mucosa caused by an aberrant arteriole that usually runs horizontally in the gastric fundus . A history of alcohol abuse or NSAID use is usually absent in Dieulafoy's.

The symptoms are haematemesis and/or malaena . It is diagnosed and treated endoscopically. Endoscopic techniques used in treatment include bipolar electrocoagulation , monopolar electrocoagulation , injection sclerotherapy , heater probe , laser photocoagulation , epinephrine injection , haemoclipping and banding .

The mortality rate for Dieulafoy's was much higher before the era of endoscopy, where open surgery was the only treatment option.