[Ménétrier's disease associated with a gastric ulcer: a clinical case report and review of the literature].

The authors report on a case of Ménétrier's disease, associated with antral gastric ulcer. The patient came at our observation after a severe high digestive bleeding. On the basis of the endoscopic diagnosis of gastric ulcer and because of the failure of medical treatment with continuous bleeding, the patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy. The histological examination of the specimen confirmed the benign nature of the gastric ulcer but revealed also the presence of Ménétrier's disease. After three years, an endoscopic control excluded the presence of the disease in the remaining stomach. The association between gastric ulcer and Ménétrier's disease is of difficult pathophysiological explanation in the literature. The presence of the ulcer, however, does not seem to influence the clinical evolution of the disease or the treatment, which, moreover, has not been codified as yet. In fact, cases of Ménétrier's disease are reported to have been cured with cortisol, anticholinergic, anti-H2 receptor and antifibrinolytic preparations or by surgery (subtotal gastrectomy, total gastrectomy). However, as in our patient, spontaneous remission of the disease with no treatment have been reported. The Ménétrier's disease, the treatment of which has yet to be codified, is still a difficult situation, in particular when associated to gastric ulcer.