01/08/2025
Do you know the difference between gastric and duodenal ulcers?
Not all ulcers are the same—and some may bleed, perforate, or even turn deadly if ignored.
Learn the causes, symptoms, complications, and when to worry!
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🩺 Peptic Ulcer Disease (PUD)
🔹 Definition
Peptic ulcer disease refers to a mucosal break in the stomach or proximal duodenum that penetrates the muscularis mucosae and is usually more than 5 mm in diameter.
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🔹 Etiology (Causes)
1. Infectious:
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) – most common cause worldwide
→ Produces urease, cytotoxins, and causes mucosal inflammation and injury
2. Drugs:
NSAIDs – inhibit prostaglandin synthesis → ↓ mucosal defense
Corticosteroids (in combination with NSAIDs)
Others: SSRIs, Bisphosphonates, Anticoagulants
3. Hypersecretory Conditions:
Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (gastrinoma)
Cushing's disease
Systemic mastocytosis
4. Lifestyle factors:
Smoking
Alcohol
Caffeine
Stress (indirect role, especially in ICU settings — “stress ulcers”)
5. Other factors:
Genetics
Blood group O
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🔹 Sites of Ulcer
Type Common Site
Gastric Lesser curvature (antrum)
Duodenal 1st part (anterior wall)
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🔹 Pathophysiology
Ulceration occurs due to imbalance between protective (mucus, bicarbonate, prostaglandins, mucosal blood flow) and aggressive (gastric acid, pepsin, H. pylori, NSAIDs) factors.
In H. pylori infection → increased acid + weakened mucosal defense
In NSAID use → prostaglandin inhibition → impaired mucosal barrier
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🔹 Clinical Features
1. Epigastric Pain (Hallmark Symptom)
Gastric ulcer: Pain worsens with food (30–60 min after eating)
Duodenal ulcer: Pain relieved with food, occurs 2–3 hours after meals
2. Other Symptoms
Bloating, fullness, nausea, vomiting
Loss of appetite, weight loss
Occult or overt GI bleeding (melena, hematemesis)
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🔹 Complications
1. Hemorrhage → most common
2. Perforation → sudden severe abdominal pain, rigid abdomen, free air under diaphragm
3. Gastric outlet obstruction
4. Pe*******on → into pancreas or liver
5. Malignancy (gastric ulcers can transform; duodenal ulcers rarely do)
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🔹 Diagnosis
📋 History & Physical Exam
Classic symptoms, NSAID use, lifestyle, family history
🔬 Investigations
Upper GI endoscopy (EGD):
Gold standard
Allows visualization, biopsy (especially for gastric ulcers to rule out cancer)
Tests for H. pylori:
Non-invasive:
Urea breath test (highly sensitive & specific)
Stool antigen test
Invasive:
Rapid urease test (CLO test during endoscopy)
Histopathology, Culture
FBC → anemia from chronic blood loss
Serum gastrin → in suspected Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
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🔹 Treatment
1. General Measures
Avoid NSAIDs, alcohol, smoking
Diet modification (though not a mainstay)
2. Medical Management
Eradication of H. pylori:
Triple therapy (14 days):
PPI (e.g., omeprazole)
Clarithromycin
Amoxicillin or metronidazole
Quadruple therapy (if resistant or failed triple):
PPI + Bismuth + Tetracycline + Metronidazole
Acid suppression:
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs): omeprazole, pantoprazole
H2 blockers: ranitidine (now rarely used due to safety concerns)
3. Surgical Treatment (for complications)
Perforation: Graham patch repair
Refractory or bleeding ulcers: partial gastrectomy, vagotomy
Gastric outlet obstruction: pyloroplasty or gastrojejunostomy
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🔹 Follow-up & Monitoring
Re-test for H. pylori (urea breath or stool antigen) after 4 weeks of therapy
Repeat endoscopy if gastric ulcer (to ensure healing and rule out malignancy)
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🔹 Prevention
Judicious NSAID use with PPIs
H. pylori screening and eradication in high-risk groups
Lifestyle modification: avoid smoking, alcohol, stress management
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📚Now,(tricks for dear students )-
Mnemonic for Complications – “BOPP”
Bleeding
Obstruction
Perforation
Pe*******on
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