Metabolic bone disease after gastrectomy

• Published in: The American journal of medicine Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 442 - 449
• Main Author: Eddy, Richard L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.1971
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alkaline Phosphatase - blood; Biopsy; Bone and Bones - analysis; Bone Diseases - diagnosis; Bone Diseases - epidemiology; Bone Diseases - etiology; Calcium - blood; Calcium - urine; Calcium Metabolism Disorders - etiology; Decalcification, Pathologic - etiology; Fats - analysis; Feces - analysis; Female; Fractures, Bone - etiology; Gastrectomy - adverse effects; Humans; Hydroxyproline - urine; Hypocalcemia - etiology; Jejunum - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Osteomalacia - etiology; Pelvic Bones - diagnostic imaging; Peptic Ulcer - blood; Peptic Ulcer - metabolism; Phosphorus - blood; Pylorus - surgery; Radiography, Thoracic; United States; Vagotomy
• ISSN: 0002-9343; 1555-7162
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-9343(71)90333-0

An extensive survey revealed a significant biostatistical difference in the incidence of metabolic bone disease when 342 patients who had been treated with various types of partial gastrectomy were compared with a series of 180 patients with peptic ulcer of similar age and sex distribution. Thirty per cent of the postgastrectomy patients and only 5 per cent of the nonsurgical patients had defects in calcium metabolism. On the basis of this survey, postgastrectomy bone disease seems to be more common in the United States than supposed. Osteomalacia appears to be the major bone lesion and may be present in 25 per cent of postgastrectomy patients. Statistical correlation between fecal fat excretion and various calcium abnormalities further suggests that malabsorption is the predominant causative mechanism.