The Mallory-Weiss syndrome. A review of 23 cases with special reference to coagulation defects

The Mallory-Weiss syndrome is defined as bleeding from longitudinal tears in the gastro-oesophageal junction. The characteristic history consists of repeated vomiting followed by sudden haematemesis. During the past 4 1/2 years, 23 patients, 17 males and 6 females with the diagnosis of Mallory-Weiss syndrome were treated in our institution. An aetiological factor has been sought for. In a review of the case-records, we discovered that many patients had coagulation defects on admission. This was verified with extended coagulation tests at later follow-up. It is proposed that non-bleeding lacerations in the cardiac orifice in conjunction with vomiting is a common occurence, and that the Mallory-Weiss syndrome may be regarded as a complication occuring predominantly in patients with some coagulation defect.