GIANT GASTRIC ULCERS IN CHRONIC SPINAL CORD INJURY PATIENTS

Authors: Park, WalterG.¹; Rouse, RobertV.²; Kahng, LynSue¹; Bastidas, J. Augusto³; Meinke, Laura¹; Soetikno, RoyM.

Source: Digestive Endoscopy, Volume 19, Number 1, January 2007 , pp. 36-39(4)

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Abstract:

Gastric ulcers cause significant morbidity and mortality to patients with spinal cord injuries. Case reports of three patients with gastric ulcers and chronic spinal cord injuries. Review of the medical literature using MEDLINE ranging from 1975 to 2004. We describe three cases of severe, complicated gastric ulcers in this population. Two cases involve gastric ulcers that eroded into major mesenteric arteries, leading to one fatality. One of these cases revealed a gastric ulcer that looked like a mass because of intralumenal herniation of serosal fat. Diagnosis of ulcer disease is challenging in this patient population as they often do not endorse focal symptoms. Gastroenterologists and other practitioners evaluating chronic spinal cord injury patients should be aware of the potential for giant gastric ulcers, even with benign clinical presentations.

Keywords: gastric ulcer; spinal cord injury

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1443-1661.2007.00666.x

Affiliations: 1: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2: Department of Pathology, and 3: Department of General Surgery, Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA

Publication date: 2007-01-01