Small bowel ulcerative lesions are common in elderly NSAIDs users with peptic ulcer bleeding.

Aim: To determine the frequency of small bowel ulcerative lesions in patients with peptic ulcer and define the significance of those lesions.

Methods: In our prospective study, 60 consecutive elderly patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding from a peptic ulceration (cases) and 60 matched patients with a non-bleeding peptic ulcer (controls) underwent small bowel capsule endoscopy, after a negative colonoscopy (compulsory in our institution). Controls were evaluated for non-bleeding indications. Known or suspected chronic inflammatory conditions and medication that could harm the gut were excluded. During capsule endoscopy, small bowel ulcerative lesions were counted thoroughly and classified according to Graham classification. Other small bowel lesions were also recorded. Peptic ulcer bleeding was controlled endoscopically, when adequate, proton pump inhibitors were started in both cases and controls, and Helicobacter pylori eradicated whenever present. Both cases and controls were followed up for a year. In case of bleeding recurrence upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was repeated and whenever it remained unexplained it was followed by repeat colonoscopy and capsule endoscopy.

Results: Forty (67%) cases and 18 (30%) controls presented small bowel erosions (P = 0.0001), while 22 (37%) cases and 4 (8%) controls presented small bowel ulcers (P < 0.0001). Among non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) consumers, 39 (95%) cases and 17 (33%) controls presented small bowel erosions (P < 0.0001), while 22 (55%) cases and 4 (10%) controls presented small bowel ulcers (P < 0.0001). Small bowel ulcerative lesions were infrequent among patients not consuming NSAIDs. Mean entry hemoglobin was 9.3 (SD = 1.4) g/dL in cases with small bowel ulcerative lesions and 10.5 (SD = 1.3) g/dL in those without (P = 0.002). Cases with small bowel ulcers necessitate more units of packed red blood cells. During their hospitalization, 6 (27%) cases with small bowel ulcers presented bleeding recurrence most possibly attributed to small bowel ulcers, nevertheless 30-d mortality was zero. Presence of chronic obstructive lung disease and diabetes was related with unexplained recurrence of hemorrhage in logistic regression analysis, while absence of small bowel ulcers was protective (relative risk 0.13, P = 0.05).

Conclusion: Among NSAID consumers, more bleeders than non-bleeders with peptic ulcers present small bowel ulcers; lesions related to more severe bleeding and unexplained episodes of bleeding recurrence.