Endoscopic treatment of hemorrhagic gastric ulcer in patients aged 80 years or more

Background/Aims: Hemorrhagic gastric ulcer is a more serious disorder in elderly patients than in young patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic treatment for hemorrhagic gastric ulcer in patients aged 80 years or more. Methodology: A total of 269 patients underwent endoscopic treatment for hemorrhagic gastric ulcer with hemoclipping and pure ethanol injection, either alone or in combination. These patients were divided into two groups: elderly (≥80 years old) and younger (<80 years) groups. The clinical data, endoscopic findings and outcomes of endoscopic treatment were compared between these two groups. Results: Patients in the elderly group had a significantly higher incidence of concomitant disease (73% vs. 23%), anemia (7.9±2.1g/dL vs. 9.3±2.8g/dL) and large ulcer (23% vs. 6%) compared with the younger group. However, all patients in the elderly group underwent endoscopic hemostasis successfully with no complications and no deaths. The rebleeding rate was not significantly different (8% vs. 4%) between the two groups. Conclusions: Elderly patients with hemorrhagic gastric ulcer have high incidences of severe ulcer disease and concomitant medical problems. Endoscopic hemostasis for hemorrhagic gastric ulcer is effective and safe, even for such elderly patients.