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Small bowel ulcers

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Opinion statement

Treatment of small intestinal ulcers depends on the cause of the ulcers. Ulcerations of the small intestine (apart from duodenal ulcers) are uncommon. Two diverse syndromes of idiopathic small bowel ulcerations include the isolated nonspecific ulcer and idiopathic chronic ulcerative enteritis (ICUE). Treatment of isolated nonspecific ulcers include discontinuation of medications known to cause nonspecific ulcerations, balloon dilation of strictures, and segmental resection of involved segments. Treatment of ICUE includes a diet trial of gluten restriction and consideration of early surgery because of the potential for associated malignancies. Steroid therapy has not been shown to be effective in the treatment of ICUE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, 33140, Miami Beach, FL, USA

    Umaprasanna S. Karnam MD & Charles M. Rosen MD

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Jackson Memorial Medical Center, University of Miami, 1611 Northwest 12th Avenue, South Wing 220, 33136, Miami, FL, USA

    Jeffrey B. Raskin MD

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  1. Umaprasanna S. Karnam MD
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  2. Charles M. Rosen MD
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  3. Jeffrey B. Raskin MD
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Karnam, U.S., Rosen, C.M. & Raskin, J.B. Small bowel ulcers. Curr Treat Options Gastro 4, 15–21 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-001-0043-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11938-001-0043-1

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