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- $Unique_ID{BRK03763}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Gastritis, Chronic, Erosive}
- $Subject{Gastritis Chronic Erosive Gastritis Varioliform Gastritis Idiopathic
- Chronic Erosive Gastritis Crohn's Disease Acute Gastritis Peptic Ulcer
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1989 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
-
- 719:
- Gastritis, Chronic, Erosive
-
- ** IMPORTANT **
- It is possible that the main title of the article (Chronic, Erosive
- Gastritis) is not the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to
- find the alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
-
- Synonyms
-
- Gastritis
- Varioliform Gastritis
- Idiopathic Chronic, Erosive Gastritis
-
- Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related
- Disorders section of this report:
-
- Crohn's Disease
- Acute Gastritis
- Peptic Ulcer
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
-
- General Discussion
-
- ** REMINDER **
- The information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
- educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
- purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
- contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
- section of this report.
-
- Chronic, Erosive Gastritis is characterized by many inflamed lesions in
- the mucous lining of the stomach. It may be a transitory or a chronic
- condition lasting for years.
-
- Symptoms
-
- Chronic, Erosive Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach characterized
- by multiple lesions in the mucous lining causing ulcer-like symptoms. These
- symptoms may include a burning and heavy feeling in the pit of the stomach,
- mild nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and weakness. In severe cases there
- can be bleeding of the stomach which may result in anemia. Some people with
- this disorder, especially chronic aspirin users, may show no apparent
- symptoms until the disease has advanced. An accurate diagnosis can be made
- by physician's visual inspection of the stomach using a gastroscope.
-
- Causes
-
- The exact cause of Chronic, Erosive Gastritis is unknown. It may be the
- result of an infection, over indulgence of alcohol, or persistent use of
- aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen.
- Stress tends to make symptoms worse. Crohn's disease and Sarcoidosis have
- been known to be factors in some cases of Chronic, Erosive Gastritis, while
- some cases have no apparent cause at all.
-
- Affected Population
-
- Chronic, Erosive Gastritis usually occurs during middle age and is more
- common in males than females. Alcoholics and chronic aspirin or ibuprofen
- users (e.g. people with arthritis) are more susceptible to this disorder.
-
- Related Disorders
-
- The following disorders may have symptoms similar to Chronic, Erosive
- Gastritis. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
-
- Crohn's Disease, also known as ileitis, regional enteritis, or
- granulomatous colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease characterized
- by severe, often granulomatous, chronic inflammation of the wall of the
- gastrointestinal tract. In most cases, a segment of the intestines called
- the ileum. Crohn's disease can be difficult to manage. Mortality due to the
- disease itself, or to complications from the disease, is low. (For more
- information on this disorder, choose "Crohn's" as your search term in the
- Rare Disease Database).
-
- Acute Erosive Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach characterized
- by lesions in the mucous membranes of the stomach and ulcer-like symptoms.
- This type of Gastritis is caused by a variety of stresses such as major
- trauma, multiple injuries or serious burns.
-
- Peptic Ulcer is a common disorder usually characterized by a single
- lesion of the mucous membranes of the esophagus, stomach or duodenum. These
- lesions may be caused by an over secretion of acid or pepsin and are
- characterized by pain, heartburn, nausea and vomiting.
-
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome is a rare condition characterized by stomach
- ulcers and small tumors (usually of the pancreas) which secrete a hormone
- that produces excessive amounts of gastric juices in the stomach. These
- tumors can also appear in the lower stomach wall, spleen or lymph nodes close
- to the stomach. Large amounts of gastric acid can be found in lower stomach
- areas where ulcers can form. Ulcers can appear suddenly even in areas where
- they are rarely found, may persist following treatment, and can be
- accompanied by diarrhea. Prompt medical treatment of these ulcers is
- necessary to prevent complications such as bleeding and perforation. (For
- more information on this disorder, choose "Zollinger-Ellison" as your search
- term in the Rare Disease Database.)
-
- Therapies: Standard
-
- Because Chronic, Erosive Gastritis may cause symptoms similar to other
- gastrointestinal disorders, a full medical history must be known before an
- effective treatment can be determined. Most cases are usually treated with
- acid neutralizing medications (antacids) and H2 blocker drugs such as Zantac
- (ranitidine) or Tagamet (cimetidine). Dietary changes and avoiding the
- irritating causes such as stomach irritating drugs or stressful situations
- are also helpful in eliminating the symptoms of Chronic, Erosive Gastritis.
-
- The prostaglandin E1 analog drug, Cytotec (misoprostol) has proven to be
- an effective preventative medication for gastric lesions associated with
- high-dose aspirin or ibuprofen therapy. This drug is effective in healing
- the gastric mucosal lesions without altering the therapeutic benefits of the
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs given to arthritis patients. Other
- treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
-
- Therapies: Investigational
-
- At the present time, a study is being conducted on the effectiveness of the
- drug bismuthsubsalicylate as a treatment for Chronic, Erosive Gastritis.
- More research must be conducted to determine long-term safety and
- effectiveness of this drug.
-
- This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
- December 1989. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to
- keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and
- accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for
- the most current information about this disorder.
-
- Resources
-
- For more information on Chronic, Erosive Gastritis, please contact:
-
- National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
- P.O. Box 8923
- New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
- (203) 746-6518
-
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
- Box NDDIC
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- (301) 468-2162
-
- National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis
- 444 Park Avenue, South
- New York, NY 10016
- (212)685-3440
-
- References
-
- INTERNAL MEDICINE, 2nd Ed.: Jay H. Stein, ed-in-chief; Little, Brown and Co.,
- 1987. Pp. 110.
-
- THE MERCK MANUAL, 15th Ed.: Robert Berkow, M.D. ed-in-chief; Merck, Sharp
- & Dohme Laboratories., 1987. Pp. 736.
-
- TREATMENT OF CHRONIC EROSIVE GASTRITIS WITH PREDNISOLONE. M. Farthing,
- et al.; GUT, (September 1981, issue 22 (9)). Pp. 759-762.
-
- MECHANISMS OF NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG-INDUCED GASTRIC
- DAMAGE. R. Schoen et al.; AM J MED, (April 1989, issue 86 (4)). Pp. 449-
- 558.
-
- NEOPLASIA IN CHRONIC EROSIVE (VALIOLIFORM) GASTRITIS. M. Cappell et
- al.; DIG DIS SCI, (August 1988, issue 33 (8)). Pp. 1035-1039.
-
- MISOPROSTOL HEALS GASTRODUODENAL INJURY IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID
- ARTHRITIS RECEIVING ASPIRIN. S. Roth et al.; ARCH INTERN MED, (April 1989
- issue 149 (4)). Pp. 775-779.
-
- PROSTAGLANDIN E1 ANALOGUE THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY GASTRIC
- ULCER IN AN ELDERLY PATIENT. E. Ramsey et al.; ARCH INTERN MED, (October
- 1988 issue 148 (10)). Pp. 2275-2276.
-
- CHRONIC EROSIVE GASTRITIS: A CLINICAL STUDY. C. Gallagher et al.; AM J
- GASTROENTEROL, (April 1987, issue 82 (4)). Pp. 302-306.
-
- CHRONIC EROSIVE GASTRITIS--A RECENTLY RECOGNIZED DISORDER. G. Elta et
- al.; DIG DIS SCI (January 1983, issue 28 (1)). Pp. 7-12.
-
-