Mallory-Weiss syndrome

Other Names: Gastroesophageal laceration-hemorrhage; Mallory-Weiss laceration; Mallory-Weiss tear; Mucosal lacerations - gastroesophageal junction

Mallory-Weiss syndrome is a condition associated with alcoholism in which the lower end of the esophagus tears, causing vomiting of blood A Mallory-Weiss tear occurs in the mucus membrane of the lower part of the esophagus or upper part of the stomach, near where they join. The tear may bleed.

Causes

Mallory-Weiss tears are most often caused by forceful or long-term vomiting or coughing. They may also be caused by epileptic convulsions. Any condition that leads to violent and lengthy bouts of coughing or vomiting can cause these tears. It is often associated with alcoholism and eating disorders and there is some evidence that presence of a hiatal hernia is a predisposing condition. Forceful vomiting causes tearing of the mucosa at the junction. NSAID abuse is also a rare association. In rare instances some chronic disorders like Ménière's disease that cause long term nausea and vomiting could be a factor.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include:

• Bloody stools
• Vomiting blood (bright red)

Diagnosis

Tests may include:

• CBC, possibly showing low hematocrit
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), more likely to be done when there is active bleeding

Treatment

The tear usually heals in a few days without treatment. The tear may also be fixed by clips that are put in during an EGD. Surgery is rarely needed. Drugs that suppress stomach acid (proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers) may be given, but it is not clear if they are helpful.

If blood loss has been great, blood transfusions may be needed. In most cases, bleeding stops without treatment within a few hours.

Prognosis

Repeated bleeding is uncommon and the outcome is most often good. Cirrhosis of the liver and problems with blood clotting make future bleeding episodes more likely to occur.

Possible Complications Hemorrhage (loss of blood)

NIH genetic and rare disease info

• NIH info on Mallory-Weiss syndrome

Mallory-Weiss syndrome is a rare disease.

Mallory-Weiss syndrome Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski