Ménétrièr's Disease and Idiopathic Hypertrophic Gastropathy

Abstract

The cases of 43 patients with hypoproteinemic hypertrophic gastropathy (Menetrier''s disease) are reviewed. Characteristically, patients with Menetrier''s disease are older than 60 yr of age and have epigastric pain, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea and dyspepsia, with or without a history of peptic ulcer disease. Menetrier''s disease can be associated with swelling in the extremities, vomiting and early satiety, maculopapular rash, anorexia and fatigue. In the patients studied, unlike those with hypertrophic gastropathy without hypoproteinemia, Menetrier''s disease was accompanied by an increased incidence of severe or recurrent infections (18 patients); occlusive, thromboembolic and other vascular disorders (23 patients) and pulmonary edema (13 patients). Remission can occur after parietal cell vagotomy or histamine-H2-receptor blockage or spontaneously. In most patients, rugal enlargement and hypoproteinemia persist for long periods of time.