OMEPRAZOLE INDUCES A LONG-TERM CLINICAL REMISSION OF PROTEIN-LOSING GASTROPATHY OF MENETRIERS-DISEASE

We report a patient with Menetrier's disease presenting with extensive subcutaneous oedema, ascites and pleural effusion due to hypoalbumina emia. Gastric secretory studies showed no free basal and stimulated ac id secretion. The gastric juice contained significant amounts of album in (0.2 g/dl) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) (1.11 mg/dl), corresponding t o an estimated daily loss of 9.7 g and 45 mg, respectively. Protein-lo sing gastropathy was initially unsuccessfully treated with famotidine (80 mg/day) for 17 months, but a long-term (25 months) clinical remiss ion was subsequently achieved with omeprazole (20 mg/day). We suggest that excellent clinical remission of Menetrier's disease and the assoc iated protein-losing gastropathy may be obtained with long-term omepra zole maintenance treatment, possibly due to Helicobacter pylori suppre ssion.