[Late deficiency states in patients with a surgically treated stomach]

37 patients with partial stomach resection because of peptic ulcer, performed 5 to 28 years before, were studied. In 29 patients the serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. In 19 patients several hematologic indices--hemoglobin, serum iron, erythrocyte morphology, proteinogram--were determined, too. The mean serum vit. B12 level was significantly lower than that of the control group of healthy persons. In 1/3 of these patients the low serum vit. B12 level was accompanied by manifested neurologic complications-myelopathy and polyneuropathy. The mean folic acid level was also low but statistically insignificantly and in patients the value was subnormal. In half of the patients a low degree hypochromic anemia was found. The role of vit. B12 deficiency in the pathogenesis of the neurologic manifestations is discussed and the determination of vit. B12 and folic acid levels is recommended in patients who had undergone gastric resection, especially after 5 years following the resection.