Several pathological outcomes of gastric ulcers

Peptic ulcer is a common digestive system disease, and its pathological outcomes mainly depend on the severity of the ulcer, its complications, and whether there is an associated malignant lesion. From a pathological perspective, the possible outcomes of gastric ulcers include:

1. Bleeding: Vessels on the surface of a gastric ulcer may rupture due to ulcer erosion, leading to varying degrees of gastrointestinal bleeding, manifested as black tarry stools or vomiting blood. Severe bleeding can be life-threatening.

2. Perforation: When an ulcer erodes through the entire gastric wall, it can cause perforation of the stomach wall. This is an emergency complication of gastric ulcer requiring immediate surgical treatment; otherwise, it may lead to peritonitis and sepsis.

3. Healing: Most gastric ulcers can heal with appropriate treatment, including the use of medications that inhibit gastric acid secretion and eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection. Healed gastric ulcers usually leave scar tissue.

4. Malignant transformation: Although rare, long-standing gastric ulcers carry a risk of cancerous change, especially in the context of chronic atrophic gastritis.

5. Obstruction: Long-standing gastric ulcers, particularly those located near the pylorus, may cause gastric outlet obstruction, presenting symptoms such as upper abdominal fullness and vomiting.