[Chronic gastritis and ulcer disease in young men]

Examination has been carried out on 34 young men (average age: 22 years) with chronic erosive gastritis. Chronic erosions were situated most frequently in the prepyloric part of the stomach (88.2%). Duodenal ulcer-was found in 14 patients (41.1%), gastric ulcer was found in 1 patient (2.9%). In 19 examined patients (56.0%) chronic erosive gastritis existed without any other disease of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical picture, gastric secretion and histopatological examination were compared in two group: I-chronic erosive gastritis without any other changes within the gastrointestinal tract and group II-chronic erosive gastritis coexisting with duodenal ulcer in the clinical picture of the group I, pain usually occurred after a meal and was felt as a heaviness sensation in epigastrum, while in the group II patients felt suction, hunger pain night pain and heartburn. Gastric secretion in the two group did not differ much. Microscopic examination of the mucosa usually confirmed chronic active gastritis. A typical feature for both group was regenerative glandular hyperplasia of the gastric mucosa. Despite many common features, it is impossible to identify explicitly and univocally the relationship between chronic erosive gastritis and ulceration.