Post-Gastrectomy Problems in Patients with Personality Defects: The “Albatross” Syndrome

Of a series of 130 patients undergoing operation for peptic ulcer disease at the Vancouver General Hospital, seven patients with personality defects had a disastrous outcome after operation.The main features of this postgastrectomy syndrome were remarkably similar: persistent abdominal pain without demonstrable cause, intermittent and inexplicable nausea and vomiting, continued analgesic drug dependence and marked nutritional deficiencies. The high incidence was surprising and was not confined to any particular socioeconomic group. Such patients fall into three groups: those with true ulcer disease, those with salicylate addiction, and those without positive signs of ulcer but with chronic complaints. A history of a personality defect should warn the surgeon, and operation should be performed only for the complications of true ulcer disease. Though operation may cure the ulcer, the patient is worse off because the resulting physiologic derangements cannot be accepted or handled by him. These patients continue to haunt the surgeon, and the syndrome has been named the “albatross” syndrome.     

Fatal peptic ulcer complications and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,aspirin, and corticosteroids.

Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are known to cause peptic ulcer and its complications, controversy exists about the number of deaths from ulcer which are attributable to their use. A case-control study was therefore performed to determine whether prior use of non-steroidal and other anti-inflammatory compounds was associated with an increased case fatality rate from complications of peptic ulcer. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were used by 39% of a series of 80 patients who had died from peptic ulcer complications and by 37% of 160 controls who were survivors matched for sex, age, ulcer site, and nature of complication (odds ratio 1.1; 95% confidence interval 0.6 to 2.1). Similarly, the rates of prior use of aspirin by cases and controls were almost identical (odds ratio 1.2; 95% confidence interval 0.5 to 1.9). Thus neither nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs nor aspirin were associated with increased case fatality rates from peptic ulcer complications. In contrast, corticosteroids were associated with an increased mortality (odds ratio 4.2; 95% confidence interval 0.9 to 25.6). Although this increase in the estimated relative risk was not statistically significant, a review of the case records indicated that most deaths in steroid users were due to serious sepsis, indicating that there might be a causal association between use of the drugs and the mode of death.     

Helicobacter pylori and Non-malignant Diseases

In 2007 Helicobacter pylori research continued to deal with some controversies raised in the last decade. The main problems remain unsolved: peptic ulcer disease negative for H. pylori , synergism of H. pylori infection and aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or cyclooxygenase 2 specific inhibitors, the role of H. pylori eradication in uninvestigated and nonulcer dyspepsia, and the possible protective effect of H. pylori infection against gastroesophageal reflux disease and its complications such as Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma. The incidence and prevalence of peptic ulcer disease as well as ulcer-related mortality are continuing to decline all over the world. The increasing consumption of anti-inflammatory and antisecretory drugs was not found to change the trend over the last period and therefore H. pylori was considered the key factor in causing ulcer-related mortality. Some progress has been achieved in understanding H. pylori -induced immunological processes, and attack mechanisms, as well as specific pathogenesis in uremic and cirrhotic patients. There is still a lot to learn about the bacterium and host factors related to H. pylori infection and its complications.     

A Review of Seasonal Periodicity in Peptic Ulcer Disease

Although several pathogenetic factors have been identified in recent years, the etiology of peptic ulcer disease is yet unknown. During the past few decades several investigators have reported seasonal patterns in peptic and duodenal ulcer disease. A review of the literature reveals vast differences between studies with respect to the type and number of patients selected, diagnostic techniques, the number of examinations and the interval of time between each as well as the method of data analysis. Nevertheless, there is solid evidence to conclude that peptic ulcer disease is lower during the summer than the other seasons of the year. Although many investigators have reported peptic ulcer disease to be more common in the spring and/or autumn, the evidence based on group studies thus far is not persuasive. On the other hand, initial findings on a small sample of patients studied by endoscopy at frequent intervals over at least a one-year period suggest that the season of peptic ulcer disease is a characteristic of each individual patient. Some experience recurrence of disease only in the spring while others experience such only in the autumn. Studies utilizing protocols which call for frequent endoscopic examination at regular (3-month or less) intervals for at least a one-year period are likely to clarify aspects of the seasonality of peptic ulcer disease.     

A Review of Seasonal Periodicity in Peptic Ulcer Disease

Although several pathogenetic factors have been identified in recent years, the etiology of peptic ulcer disease is yet unknown. During the past few decades several investigators have reported seasonal patterns in peptic and duodenal ulcer disease. A review of the literature reveals vast differences between studies with respect to the type and number of patients selected, diagnostic techniques, the number of examinations and the interval of time between each as well as the method of data analysis. Nevertheless, there is solid evidence to conclude that peptic ulcer disease is lower during the summer than the other seasons of the year. Although many investigators have reported peptic ulcer disease to be more common in the spring and/or autumn, the evidence based on group studies thus far is not persuasive. On the other hand, initial findings on a small sample of patients studied by endoscopy at frequent intervals over at least a one-year period suggest that the season of peptic ulcer disease is a characteristic of each individual patient. Some experience recurrence of disease only in the spring while others experience such only in the autumn. Studies utilizing protocols which call for frequent endoscopic examination at regular (3-month or less) intervals for at least a one-year period are likely to clarify aspects of the seasonality of peptic ulcer disease.     

Helicobacter pylori infection and perforated peptic ulcer prevalence of the infection and role of antimicrobial treatment

Although the role of Helicobacter pylori infection on noncomplicated peptic ulcer disease has been definitively established, the precise relationship between the organism and complicated ulcer has hardly been studied. The mean prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with perforated peptic ulcer is of only about 65-70%, which contrasts with the almost 90-100% figure reported in noncomplicated ulcer disease. However, H. pylori infection rates in various studies range markedly from 0% to 100%, suggesting that differences in variables as number and type of diagnostic methods used to diagnose H. pylori infection, or frequency of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug intake, may be responsible for the low prevalence reported in some studies. Recurrent ulcer disease after peptic ulcer perforation mainly occurs in patients with H. pylori infection, which suggests that the microorganism plays an important role in this complication. All patients with perforated peptic ulcer should be treated by simple closure of the perforation and with therapy aimed at healing of the ulcer and eradicating the H. pylori infection, as disappearance of the organism prevents, or at least decreases, ulcer recurrence and ulcer perforation in patients with H. pylori-associated perforated ulcers after simple closure. Therefore, H. pylori eradicating treatment should be started during the immediate postoperative period. The patients with intractable recurrent symptoms of peptic ulcer despite adequate medical treatment, but without H. pylori infection (e.g. a patient using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), is probably the only remaining indication for elective definitive surgical treatment of peptic ulcer disease.     

Peptic ulceration,gastric secretion,and renal transplantation.

Fifty-four patients on haemodialysis for chronic renal failure underwent renal transplantation. Basal and maximum acid output and the incidence of peptic ulcer before transplantation were not significantly different from those of controls. But after renal transplantation the incidence of symptoms of peptic ulcer was high (22%) and four out of six patients who developed gastrointestinal bleeding died from this complication. In men peak acid output was significantly increased after renal transplantation and was associated with a 30% incidence of symptoms of peptic ulcer compared with 10% in women, who showed no significant change in mean basal or peak acid output. Peptic ulceration after transplantation was not associated with steroid dosage, hyperparathyroidism, or the height of blood urea concentrations. Given criteria of a history of dyspepsia, abnormal barium meal findings, or gastric hypersecretion, it was not possible to identify patients at risk from peptic ulceration or life-threatening complications after renal transplantation. Thus the routine screening of these patients for peptic ulcer has no practical value, and the incidence of fatal complications is not high enough to justify routine prophylactic anti-ulcer surgery aimed at reducing acid secretion before renal transplantation.     

Is herpes simplex virus associated with peptic ulcer disease?

To test the hypothesis that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) may be associated with peptic ulcer disease, we examined ulcerative lesions of the distal stomach and proximal duodenum for the presence of nucleic acids and antibodies specific for HSV-1. Utilizing in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction with sequencing, gastric or duodenal tissues from 4 of 22 patients (18%) with documented peptic ulcer disease demonstrated the presence of both specific HSV-1 nucleic acid sequences and proteins. HSV-1 was found restricted in clusters of cells near the margin of the ulcer but was absent at sites distal to the lesion. Several of such HSV-1-infected cells also contained cholecystokinin. These cholecystokinin-containing cells are of neuroendocrine origin and receive contact from the vagal nerve. Campylobacter pylori bacteria were not found in three of the four peptic ulcer tissues that harbored HSV-1. Further, none of the stomach or duodenal tissue samples from 33 patients undergoing clinical evaluation, but having no evidence of peptic ulcer disease, had HSV-1 materials. Thus, our data suggest that a subset of peptic ulcer disease may be associated with HSV-1 and raise the possibility that some peptic ulcers may be caused by this virus.     

Submitting articles to the BMJ

ObjectiveTo determine whether people whose marital partners have depression, diabetes, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, hyperlipidaemia, peptic ulcer disease, or asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at increased risk of the same disease.DesignCross sectional study.Setting10 practices from the Trent Focus Collaborative Research Practice Network.Participants8386 married couples (16 772 individuals) from a population of 29 014 participants aged 30-74 years.OutcomesRisk of disease in participants whose marital partner had that disease compared with those whose partner did not.ResultsAfter both partners'' age, smoking, and obesity and which general practice they attend were adjusted for, participants whose marital partner had asthma, depression, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and peptic ulcer disease were at increased risk of having the same disease. The adjusted odds ratios were 1.69 (95% confidence interval 1.43 to 2.98) for asthma, 2.08 (1.71 to 2.54) for depression, 1.32 (1.04 to 1.67) for hypertension, 1.44 (1.19 to 1.75) for hyperlipidaemia, and 2.01 (1.48 to 2.73) for peptic ulcer disease.ConclusionPartners of people with specific diseases are at increased risk of the disease themselves—at least 70% increased risk for asthma, depression, and peptic ulcer disease. This implicates shared environmental causes in some diseases in addition to any genetic or distant exposure or shared behaviours with respect to seeking health care.

What is already known on this topic

People whose spouses have hypertension are at increased risk of hypertensionLittle is known about the risks of disease for spouses of patients with diseases other than hypertension

What this study adds

People whose marital partner had asthma, depression, and peptic ulcer disease were at increased risk of having the same diseaseShared environmental factors contribute to the risk of diseasesThe costs and benefits of screening people for diseases of their spouses needs to be considered     

Epidemiology and clinical presentation of stress-related peptic damage and chronic peptic ulcer

Stress is often considered a risk factor for upper gastrointestinal tract disease, as any acute threat to homeostasis evokes an adaptive or allostatic response. Various types of stress may play a role in the onset and modulation of acute or chronic peptic ulcer disease. When upper endoscopy is employed, stress-related acute mucosal damage is found to develop shortly after admission to an intensive care unit in 60 to 100 percent of patients. However, the epidemiology of chronic peptic damage has not been accurately described by type of stressor, and any association is controversial. The incidence of chronic peptic ulcer disease is falling; the proportion of chronic peptic ulcers that are Helicobacter pylori negative appears to be between 5% and 20%, and some have suggested that stress or other psychological factors may play a role here. Therefore, our objective is to provide an overview of the epidemiology and clinical presentation of stress-related peptic damage, in order to shed insights into the current understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment.     

X-ray diagnosis of peptic ulcers of the jejunum

The paper is devoted to a study of the results of clinicoroentgenological and endoscopic investigation of 188 patients aged 23 to 60 who developed jejunal peptic ulcer. It was done to specify the features of an x-ray picture of jejunal peptic ulcers with relation to the cause of ulcer development and optimum methods of x-ray investigation. The predominant localization of peptic ulcer in the jejunal efferent loop and its typical ulcero-cicatricial deformity were established. Jejunal peptic ulcers developing as a result of an insufficient area of resection, are characterized by a relatively benign course of the disease. In case ulcer development was determined by the residual antral stomach mucosa at the duodenal stump or by the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, considerable pathological changes (gigantic ulcer sizes greater than 2.5 cm and a sharp deformity of the jejunal efferent loop) were noted.     

Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer disease.

Medical therapy for duodenal or gastric ulcer disease has traditionally involved gastric acid antisecretory therapy for 4 to 8 weeks to promote initial healing and indefinitely to prevent recurrences of ulcer. The discovery of Helicobacter pylori in most patients with peptic ulcer disease has led to a change in this approach. Therapy designed to eradicate H pylori may facilitate ulcer healing with acid antisecretory agents and, more important, may greatly reduce the incidence of ulcer recurrence, obviating the need for maintenance antisecretory therapy. Regimens designed to eradicate H pylori are difficult to comply with, however, and are associated with adverse effects in some patients. In this article we review the diagnosis and treatment of H pylori infection in patients with peptic ulcer disease and make recommendations regarding the use of conventional ulcer therapies and therapies designed to eradicate H pylori.     

Glutathione system of erythrocyte and plasma in peptic ulcer

A complex study of the blood glutathione system has been carried out for the first time in patients with peptic (gastric and duodenal) ulcer. In erythrocytes and blood plasma of patients with the complicated peptic ulcer and postgastroresection syndromes there was the increase of conjugated dienes (and in the second group the increase in antioxidant activity). Under these conditions the main change was the sharp and identical decrease in glutathione peroxidase activity. In patients with uncomplicated peptic ulcer there was sharp increase in erythrocite and plasma glutathione reductase activity and plasma GSH. In operated but basically healthy patients plasma glutathione peroxidase remained decreased but plasma GSH sharply increased. Evidently complicated peptic ulcer is characterized by decreased functioning of the glutathione system. Activation of this system and the decrease or disappearance of manifestations of oxidative stress are associated with a favorable course of this disease, especially at uncomplicated peptic ulcer. The revealed changes significantly differ from those observed in patients with viral hepatitis, blle excretory diseases and strokes.     

Genetic and evolutionary implications in peptic ulcer disease

The evidence for a genetic component in peptic ulcer disease has been based on twin, family, and blood group studies. A polygenic model for the inheritance of peptic ulcers has been displaced by a genetic heterogeneity model based on several lines of evidence, some of the most powerful being recent work using subclinical markers. One marker in particular, an elevated level of serum pepsinogen I (PG I), a pepsin precursor produced by the gastric mucosa, secreted into the stomach lumen and also appearing in the bloodstream, has been found to be associated with a subgroup of duodenal ulcer patients. Segregation analysis of elevated serum PG I in duodenal ulcer sibships demonstrates familial aggregation consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Elevated PG I is also accompanied by gastric hyperacidity and presumably indicates those individuals with an increased mass of chief and parietal cells, and thus an increased capacity for peptic activity, an important element in the pathogenesis of ulcer disease. An evolutionary hypothesis based on selection for peptic activity and acidity is offered to explain several of the epidemiologic and genetic elements of this group of chronic diseases.     

The prevalence of peptic ulcer not related to Helicobacter pylori or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is negligible in southern Europe

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of peptic ulcer disease, but the proportion of H. pylori-negative peptic ulcers seems to be increasing in developed countries. We investigated the frequency of H. pylori-negative peptic ulcer without intake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in a Mediterranean European country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected consecutive patients with an endoscopically verified active peptic ulcer over 6 months from different areas of Spain. Helicobacter pylori infection was assessed by rapid urease test and histologic examination (corpus and antral biopsies). A (13)C-urea breath test was performed if H. pylori was not detected with the invasive test. Patients were considered H. pylori-negative if all three tests were negative. NSAID use was determined by structured data collection. RESULTS: Of 754 consecutive peptic ulcer patients, 16 (2.1%) were H. pylori-negative and had not used NSAIDs before the diagnosis. Of the 472 patients who had duodenal ulcers, 95.7% (n = 452) were H. pylori-positive and only 1.69% (n = 8) were negative for both H. pylori infection and NSAID use; 193 patients had benign gastric ulcers and 87% (n = 168) of them were infected by H. pylori (p <.001 vs. duodenal ulcers). NSAID intake was more frequent in gastric ulcer patients (52.8%) than in duodenal ulcer patients (25.4%; p <.001). Consequently, the frequency of H. pylori-negative gastric ulcer in patients not using NSAID was 4.1% (n = 8). CONCLUSION: Peptic ulcer disease is still highly associated with H. pylori infection in southern Europe, and only 1.6% of all duodenal ulcers and 4.1% of all gastric ulcers were not associated with either H. pylori infection or NSAID use.     

Endometriosis; a review

The Billroth I gastric resection, with and without vagotomy, was used in 20 selected cases of peptic ulcer. Vagotomy and pyloroplasty is considered the operation of first choice for duodenal ulcer. The cases for Billroth I resections were selected from cases not suitable for pyloroplasty. Operations for peptic ulcer which preserve the gastrointestinal continuity are considered to be physiologically superior. Vagotomy and pyloroplasty, and Billroth I gastric resection both qualify in this regard. The postoperative digestive symptoms after Billroth I gastric resection in the present series were minimal, which tends to confirm this theoretical superiority.     

Peptic activity and gastroduodenal mucosal damage.

This contribution reviews briefly the history of the discovery and characterization of peptic activity; secretory models and current concepts regarding the regulation of pepsinogen secretion; and evidence that pepsin is a necessary co-factor for gastroduodenal mucosal injury. Several animal studies indicate that peptic activity is required for acid- and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastroduodenal ulceration. A more vigorous approach to the development of anti-peptic drugs for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease is encouraged.     

幽门螺杆菌感染并发消化性溃疡的危险因素及预防对策分析

目的:分析幽门螺杆菌感染并发消化性溃疡的危险因素,并实施预防对策。方法:选取我院收治的消化性溃疡的患者201例,对其临床资料进行回顾性分析,分析其危险因素。结果:消化性溃疡患者201例,Hp感染162例,Hp阳性率80.60%,不同类型的消化性溃疡的Hp阳性率比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。单因素分析结果显示,年龄在36-60岁、共食、男性、暴饮暴食、喜爱辛辣食物、吸烟饮酒、个人卫生、家族病史、以往病史,均是消化性溃疡Hp感染的高危因素。进餐习惯、喜欢酸奶、个人卫生均是Hp感染的保护因素,而暴饮暴食、喜爱辛辣食物、年龄、以往病史、吸烟饮酒、家族病史均是Hp感染的危险因素。结论:分餐习惯、喜欢酸奶、个人卫生均是Hp感染的保护因素,而暴饮暴食、喜爱辛辣食物、年龄、以往病史、吸烟饮酒、家族病史是Hp感染的危险因素,进行有针对性的预防可降低疾病发生率。     

Incidence of peptic ulcer disease in Gothenburg, 1985.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the incidence and age distribution of peptic ulcer disease in adults in Gothenburg. DESIGN--Retrospective study of patients with symptoms over one year. SETTING--All gastroenterology and x ray departments. PATIENTS--Any patient found to have an active ulcer crater during 1985. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Sex, age, past history of gastrointestinal ulcers, and smoking habit. RESULTS--In 1985, 1402 peptic ulcers were diagnosed in 1137 adults. Over half (403; 54%) of the ulcers in men and 393 (60%) ulcers in women were in patients aged over 60. All types of ulcer showed increasing incidence with age. The sex ratio of patients aged 40-50 with peptic ulcers was 1:1. Nearly half (109; 48%) of ulcers diagnosed for the first time in men and 129 (57%) of such ulcers in women were in patients aged over 60. Elderly men and women were also more likely to develop haemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS--In Gothenburg there is a surprisingly high incidence of peptic ulcer disease, which increases considerably with age, possibly explained by the availability of modern diagnostic techniques as 1121 (80%) ulcers had been diagnosed by gastroscopy. Compared with earlier studies there was no difference in the incidence between men and women aged 40-50.