Ménétrier’s Disease
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Ménétrier's disease causes giant folds of tissue to grow in the
wall of the stomach. The tissue may be inflamed and may contain ulcers.
The disease also causes glands in the stomach to waste away and causes
the body to lose fluid containing a protein called albumin. Ménétrier's
disease increases a person's risk of stomach cancer. People who have this
rare, chronic disease are usually men between ages 30 and 60. The cause
of the disease is unknown.
Ménétrier's disease is also called giant hypertrophic gastritis, protein losing gasteropathy, or hypertrophic gastropathy.
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Symptoms
Symptoms include pain or discomfort and tenderness in the top middle part of the abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, vomiting blood, swelling in the abdomen, and ulcer-like pain after eating.
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Diagnosis
Ménétrier's disease is diagnosed through x rays, endoscopy,
and biopsy of stomach tissue. Endoscopy involves looking at the inside
of the stomach using a long, lighted tube that is inserted through the
mouth. Biopsy involves removing a tiny piece of stomach tissue to examine
under the microscope for signs of disease.
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Treatment
Treatment may include medications to relieve ulcer symptoms and treat inflammation, and a high-protein diet. Part or all of the stomach may need to be removed if the disease is severe.
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For More Information
National Organization for Rare Disorders Inc. (NORD)
55 Kenosia Avenue
P.O. Box 1968
Danbury, CT 06813–1968
Phone: 1–800–999–6673 or 203–744–0100
Fax: 203–798–2291
Email: orphan@rarediseases.org
Internet: www.rarediseases.org
Additional Information on Ménétrier's Disease
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse collects resource information on digestive diseases for National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Reference Collection. This database provides titles, abstracts, and availability information for health information and health education resources. The NIDDK Reference Collection is a service of the National Institutes of Health.
To provide you with the most up-to-date resources, information specialists at the clearinghouse created an automatic search of the NIDDK Reference Collection. To obtain this information, you may view the results of the automatic search on Ménétrier's Disease.
If you wish to perform your own search of the database, you may access and search the NIDDK Reference Collection database online.
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National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3570
Phone: 1–800–891–5389
TTY: 1–866–569–1162
Fax: 703–738–4929
Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1980, the Clearinghouse provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. The NDDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive diseases.
Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse encourages users of this publication to duplicate and distribute as many copies as desired.
NIH Publication No. 03–4639
April 2003
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