Impact of upper gastrointestinal lesions in patients on low-dose aspirin therapy: preliminary study.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the incidence of upper gastrointestinal lesions in the esophagus, stomach and duodenum in patients on low-dose aspirin (LDA) therapy.


METHODS
The subjects were 101 consecutive outpatients who had been on LDA therapy (average age 67.2 +/- 8.3 years; male : female ratio 3.8:1). All subjects underwent endoscopy without ceasing their antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. We investigated the rates of endoscopic peptic ulcer, reflux esophagitis (RE) and malignant lesion.


RESULTS
RE was detected in eight subjects and esophageal ulcer in one subject. The severity of RE, according to the Los Angeles classification, was grade A in one subject, B in four, C in two and D in one. All nine subjects (8.9%) with RE and esophageal ulcer were negative for Helicobacter pylori infection. Gastric ulcer was detected in 12 subjects (six H. pylori positive, six negative) and duodenal ulcer in four (one H. pylori positive, three negative). The incidence of gastroduodenal ulcer was 15.8% (16/101). The incidence of esophageal and gastric cancers was high at 5.9% (6/101). Subjects were surveyed using the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale, with no differences in scores for acid reflux, abdominal pain or indigestion according to the presence or absence of RE, gastric ulceration or duodenal ulceration.


CONCLUSIONS
Upper gastrointestinal mucosal injuries and neoplasm were found in not only the stomach, but also the esophagus and duodenum in LDA taking subjects. These results emphasize the importance of endoscopic surveillance in patients on LDA therapy.
Kawai
Takashi
T
Endoscopy Center, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. t-kawai@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Watanabe
Masataka
M
Yamashina
Akira
A
D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D001241:Aspirin