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Menetrier's disease
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Menetrier disease is a rare idiopathic syndrome that occurs in adults aged 30-60 years and is more common in men.
The syndrome manifests as marked thickening of the gastric folds in the body of the stomach, but not the antrum. Glandular atrophy and hyperplasia in the form of pit-like depressions develop, often accompanied by metaplasia of the mucous glands and thickening of the mucosa with slight inflammation. Hypoalbuminemia (the most constant laboratory finding) may be observed, caused by loss of protein in the gastrointestinal tract (protein-losing gastropathy). As the disease progresses, acid and pepsin production decreases, leading to hypochlorhydria.
[ Symptoms of Menetrier's disease
Symptoms of Menetrier's disease are nonspecific and typically include epigastric pain, nausea, weight loss, edema, and diarrhea.
Diagnosis of Menetrier's disease
The diagnosis of Menetrier's disease is established by endoscopy with biopsy of the deep layers of the mucous membrane or biopsy of the entire wall of the stomach during laparoscopy.
Differential diagnosis of Menetrier's disease includes:
- lymphoma, which can cause multiple stomach ulcers to develop,
- lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue with extensive infiltration of monoclonal B-lymphocytes,
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome with hypertrophy of the gastric folds and
- Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, which is a combination of mucosal polyposis with hypoproteinemia and diarrhea.
Treatment of Menetrier's disease
Various treatments for Menetrier's disease have been described, including anticholinergic, antisecretory, and glucocorticoid drugs, but none have been shown to be effective. In cases of severe hypoalbuminemia, partial or complete gastrectomy is indicated.