Case report

A 73-year-old woman who presented with anaemia and gastroscopy revealed a 30 mm firm ulcer with raised edges at the lesser curve of the stomach. A CT scan revealed features within the ulcer that were suspicious for malignancy. She was treated with a proton pump inhibitor and sucralfate but the ulcer failed to heal over a 1-year period. Three sets of biopsies from the ulcer edge during this time revealed benign changes only. There was no history of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage and urinary salicylate estimation was negative. The serum gastrin concentration was not raised. Her medical history included insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and ischaemic heart disease. There was no history of a systemic inflammatory disorder. Due to the continued concern of occult malignancy she proceeded to laparotomy with partial gastrectomy, after which she made an uneventful recovery.

Macroscopic examination of the resection specimen revealed a 30 mm mucosal ulcer with slightly raised edges. The adjacent gastric mucosa was macroscopically normal. …