Incidence and clinical features of endoscopic ulcers developing after gastrectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the precise incidence and clinical features of endoscopic ulcers following gastrectomy.


METHODS
A consecutive series of patients who underwent endoscopic examination following gastrectomy between 2005 and 2010 was retrospectively analyzed. A total of 78 patients with endoscopic ulcers and 759 without ulcers following gastrectomy were enrolled. We analyzed differences in patient age, sex, size of the lesions, method of operation, indications for gastric resection, and infection rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) between the nonulcer and ulcer groups.


RESULTS
The incidence of endoscopic ulcers after gastrectomy was 9.3% and that of marginal ulcers was 8.6%. Ulcers were more common in patients with Billroth II anastomosis and pre-existing conditions for peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Infection rates of H. pyloridid not differ significantly between the two groups. The patients who underwent operations to treat PUD had lower initial levels of hemoglobin and higher rates of hospital admission.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori was not an important factor in ulcerogenesis following gastrectomy. For patients who underwent surgery for PUD, clinical course of marginal ulcers was more severe.
Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 130-709, South Korea.
Woo Chul
WC
Chung
Eun Jung
EJ
Jeon
Kang-Moon
KM
Lee
Chang Nyol
CN
Paik
Sung Hoon
SH
Jung
Jung Hwan
JH
Oh
Ji Hyun
JH
Kim
Kyong-Hwa
KH
Jun
Hyung Min
HM
Chin
D000368:Aged; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012086:Reoperation; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome