SYMPTOMS, DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS, THERAPY AND PROGNOSIS OF NON NEOPLASTIC GASTROPATHIES WITH GIANT FOLD (HYPERTROPHIC GASTROPATHY OF THE ASPECT OF MENETRIERS-DISEASE)

Since the first description of Menetrier's disease in 1888 there is a disput of the pathologists about the exact definition of the illness. Improved methods of histological investigation and new data about the association between Helicobacter pylori and hypertrophic gastropathy i n combination with our case report and review of literature of 30 pedi atric cases and 100 adult cases are leading us to the suggestion, that Menetrier's disease is rather an organism induced disease than an idi opathic disease. In childhood Menetrier's disease is often associated with a cytomegalovirus infection, in adults with a Helicobacter pylori infection. Therefore in order to summarize all non neoplastic gastrop athies with foveolar hyperplasia, giant folds and protein loss we woul d propose to call them ''hypertrophic gastropathy of the aspect of Men etrier's disease (HGM)''. In ratio of 60 to 40% male patients in child hood and adults are taken with the rare disease HGM. The leading sympt oms in childhood are edema and ascites (83%), in adults it is abdomina l pain (63%). In childhood HGM runs a benign course, therefore only sy mptomatic therapy is necessary. In adults HGM normally is a chronic di sease. Eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori shows now at the fir st time a way of complete healing of HGM.