Esophageal ulcer: symptoms
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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Symptoms of esophageal ulcers are as follows:
- Chest pain is the most important symptom of an esophageal ulcer. Usually occurs when eating. When the ulcer is located directly in the cardia or subcardia, the pain is felt high in the epigastrium or in the region of the xiphoid process.
- Dysphagia - a feeling of difficulty in passing food through the esophagus, is caused by inflammatory edema of the mucosa of the esophagus and its dyskinesia. In some cases, dysphagia is due to the development of ulcerative stenosis of the esophagus; In this case, regurgitation with esophageal contents joins.
- Heartburn - is caused by gastroesophageal reflux, can be sharply expressed and forces patients to take soda often.
- Vomiting - a common symptom of ulcers of the esophagus, can be accompanied by the appearance of blood in the vomit. Vomiting brings relief, reduces heartburn and pain.
- At the expressed clinical current of a ulcer of an esophagus at the patient the weight reduction of a body is observed.
Complications of esophageal ulcers:
Stenosis of the esophagus - manifested by pronounced dysphagia, increased chest pains, pronounced weight loss. With fluoroscopy of the esophagus, there is a marked violation of the passage of barium along the esophagus or even the termination of the transition of barium into the stomach. Suprastenotic expansion of the esophagus is also defined.
Perforation of the esophagus - is a formidable complication, requiring emergency care. Most often, the ulcer of the esophagus perforates into the mediastinum. At the same time suddenly there are severe pains behind the breastbone, irradiating in the back, sharply increasing when swallowing, as well as vomiting scarlet blood. Appear sharply expressed shortness of breath, tachycardia, blood pressure quickly falls, developing collapse. When palpation of the chest is sometimes determined by subcutaneous emphysema.
Perforation of the esophagus ulcer in the left pleural cavity is possible. This is accompanied by a sharp increase in retrosternal pain, dysphagia, dyspnea, cyanosis, the development of pneumothorax or exudative pleurisy. GI Lukomsky (1957) described perforation of the esophagus ulcer in the aorta. In this case, the patient quickly dies from a severe hemorrhagic shock.
Acute bleeding - suddenly there is vomiting scarlet blood, quickly falls arterial pressure, the patient becomes covered with a cold sweat, there is a tachycardia. With massive bleeding, a lethal outcome is possible.
Chronic bleeding is manifested by the positive reaction of Gregersen (determination of latent blood in the feces) and the development of iron deficiency anemia.