The Early Occurrence of Gastric Hemorrhage in Children With Splenomegaly

The occurrence of gastric bleeding in childhood is relatively uncommon. The sudden onset of profuse and alarming hematemesis in a child who has been previously well is rare. Our attention has been called to this condition by the appearance in the Children's Hospital of four children presenting this symptom: three within the last two months and one within the last three years. One child has been seen in private practice. The usual varieties of bleeding from the stomach in young children vary somewhat in their causes from those frequently seen in adults, but there is no cause in adults, except malignant disease, which may not be operative in children. The primary diseases of the blood, notably purpura and hemophilia, and occasionally scurvy and malaria, are accompanied by gastric bleeding. A foreign body in the stomach may produce hemorrhage. Gastric ulcer in children is rare, but does occur. A particular type