[Mallory-Weiss lesions].
BACKGROUND
Mallory-Weiss syndrome (MW) has been know since 1929. Only few studies exist which focus on the prognosis of the lesion. No Danish MW data are available. The purpose of the study was to describe the demographics of patients admitted with an MW to a Danish surgical unit during a 5-year period and to investigate the prognosis of these patients.


METHODS
Data from the patient records of 49 patients with endoscopically verified MW admitted through a five-year period were analysed. At follow-up, 35 patients were alive and contacted. A total of 29 responded. The mean time to follow-up from admittance was 42.7 months (range: 10.1-77.1).


RESULTS
Haemostasis was achieved in all 49 patients. Sixteen received active therapy during the endoscopic procedure. Haemoglobin at admittance was lower (p = 0.008), the presence of bleeding stigmata higher (p < 0.0001) and the number of patients receiving blood transfusion higher (p = 0.01) among those receiving active therapy than among the group receiving no therapy at the time of their endoscopy. At follow-up, 50% of those receiving active therapy were dead (eight of 16) compared with 18% (six of 33) in the no-therapy group (p = 0.02). In the follow-up period, 10% of the patients admitted with an MW were re-admitted for a new gastrointestinal bleeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggests that an attitude change is needed toward MW with bleeding stigmata. The course of the disease may not be as benign as generally believed. Further prospective studies designed to resolve this matter are needed.
Lange
Jeppe
J
Arhus Universitetshospital, Arhus Sygehus, Kirurgisk Gastroenterologisk Afdeling L, Denmark. jeppelange@hotmail.com
Jensen
Lone S
LS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006396:Hematemesis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008309:Mallory-Weiss Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult