BLOOD FLOW DISTRIBUTION IN THE HUMAN STOMACH WITH GASTRIC ULCER

Abstract

Using endoscopic introduction of hydrogen electrode, we measured gastric blood flow and its distribution between the antrum and upper body with or without gastric ulcers. We also measured blood flow in the center, marginal wall of ulcers and surrouding normal mucosa. In the control subjects the blood flow was 49.9±11.8m1/min/100g for the antrum and 60.5±13.5m1/min/100g for the upper body (P<0.01). In ulcer patients the data were 50.5±13.3ml/min/100g and 58.8±16.2m1/min/100g respectively (P<0.05). The flow showed slight decrease with the advance of age in both antrum and upper body. In the ulcer patients the blood flow in the antrum and the upper body was slightly higher when the ulcers were in the healing stage than that in the active stage. In the patients with healing stage ulcers the blood flow increased in the marginal wall of ulcers when compared with that in the normal surrounding mucosa, and the marginal wall flow was lower than that of the normal surrounding mucosa when the ulcers were in active stage. In 6 out of 7 patients with intractable or often recurring ulcers the blood flow in the marginal wall of ulcers showed significant decrease compared with the normal surrounding mucosa. These facts lend further support to the idea that the blood flow in the marginal wall of ulcers must necessarily be of importance for the development of healing of the ulcer.