title: The usefulness of ulcer size and location in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant gastric ulcer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastric cancer can present as a gastric ulcer, which can mimic a benign gastric ulcer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the value of gastric ulcer size and location in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant gastric ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed retrospectively the upper endocopic findings of 14,400 patients between April 2008 and March 2010. Total 276 patients with gastric ulcers were divided into two groups according to histopathological examination. Ulcer location, size, age, and gender were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The predominant region of ulcer location was the corpus for the malignant ulcer group and the antrum for the benign ulcer group. The malignant ulcer ratios according to region in the whole group were: cardia 19 ulcers with 14 malignant (73.68 %), corpus 70 ulcers with 38 malignant (54.2 %), angulus 45 ulcers with 6 malignant (13.3 %), and antrum 142 ulcers with 20 malignant (14.8 %), respectively. The median size of ulcer was significantly higher in the malignant ulcer group compared with the benign ulcer group (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the location and diameter of gastric ulcers may be used as a marker of risk factors for developing gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Keklikpınarı mahallesi, 240 sokak, Duru apartmanı, 8/6, Dikmen, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey. kocak67@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koçak
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akbal
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taş
authors.forename: Seyfettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köklü
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filik
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bıyıkoğlu
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ergül
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult