[Gastric polyps in pernicious anemia: indications for polypectomy].

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS

A 54-year-old man was admitted to hospital with dyspnoea, giddiness, lack of appetite and burning sensation in the tongue for 3 years. Gastritis was known from his history. Clinical examination showed jaundice, glossitis, systolic murmur and pallhypesthesia of both legs.

INVESTIGATIONS

Blood and bone marrow investigations revealed pernicious anaemia. At gastroscopy, fundal gastritis was diagnosed and two small polyps of the fundus were removed. Histologically, one of the two polyps turned out to be a gastric carcinoid type 1 (according to [16]). Additional investigations (x-ray, ultrasound of the abdomen, somatostatin-receptor scintigraphy) did not find any metastases.

TREATMENT AND COURSE

With the diagnosis of a pernicious anaemia the patient was treated with vitamin B12. The original symptoms and the anaemia disappeared. Additional therapy of the gastric carcinoid was not necessary. One year after beginning of the treatment, no signs of the gastric carcinoid were found.

CONCLUSION

In gastric polyps of patients with pernicious anemia neoplastic transformations will often be found. That is why polypectomy should always be done. The best therapy of the gastric carcinoids type 1, which are the most frequently gastric carcinoids, is endoscopic tumour removal. Surgery is the treatment of choice only for gastric carcinoids type 2 to 4. Concerning quality of life and costs, endoscopic treatment is better for patients with gastric carcinoids type 1 than conventional surgical therapy.