Disorder Subdivisions

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General Discussion

Menetrier disease is a rare disorder characterized by massive overgrowth of mucous cells (foveola) in the mucous membrane lining the stomach, resulting in large gastric folds. The main symptom associated with Menetrier disease is pain in the upper middle region of the stomach (epigastric pain). The cause of Menetrier disease is unknown.

There is considerable confusion and contradiction in the medical literature regarding disorders involving large gastric folds. The name Menetrier disease is often erroneously used to describe any condition with large gastric folds or as a synonym for giant hypertrophic gastritis (GHG). However, Menetrier disease is not a true form of gastritis. A diagnosis of Menetrier disease should be reserved for individuals with large gastric folds due to overgrowth of mucous cells. There is minimal or no stomach inflammation in Menetrier disease. Because inflammation is minimal or not present, Menetrier disease is classified as a form of hyperplastic gastropathy and not as a form of gastritis. Some researchers believe that Menetrier disease and GHG may be variants of the same disorder or different parts of one disease spectrum.

Supporting Organizations

NIH/National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases

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For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be downloaded free from the NORD website for registered users. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational therapies (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, go to www.rarediseases.org and click on Rare Disease Database under "Rare Disease Information".

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Last Updated:  12/13/1969
Copyright  2010 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.