Hour-glass stomach: an explanation.

A personally observed series of 19 patients with hour-glass stomach is presented. In two cases carcinoma was proven. Among the remaining 17 patients with benign ulcer, females outnumbered males by 15 to 2. In neither of the carcinoma patients, but all of the benign ulcer patients, there was clear evidence of abuse of aspirin-containing analgesic preparation. The hypothesis is proposed that hour-glass stomach is produced by gross scarring around a severe benign chronic gastric ulcer under the influence of prolonged exposure to aspirin.