Types Of Ulcer: Characteristics, Causes And Dangers They Pose
An ulcer is a sore or injury to any tissue that causes loss of substance. Although its location can be diverse and with very varied symptoms, the most typical of all is the peptic ulcer, which affects the wall of the stomach or duodenum.
Signs of the presence of an ulcer in the patient range from superficial bleeding wounds to severe abdominal pain of a corrosive nature. Of course, this type of injury causes a series of symptoms that are at least annoying.
Due to the prevalence of this type of epithelial damage (as we will see below) and the possible worsening of the clinical picture without effective treatment, we find it necessary to inform all readers about the types of ulcer and how to identify them In the medical field, every second until diagnosis counts.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy of Language (RAE), an ulcer is defined as “a solution of continuity with loss of substance in organic tissues, usually accompanied by secretion of pus and sustained by a local defect or by an internal cause.”
Translating this terminology into kinder language, we can say that it is about an injury to a tissue that causes loss of substance and is difficult to heal
To understand the clinical importance of this type of tissue damage, it is necessary that we resort, as is tradition, to epidemiological figures. For it, Let’s look at peptic ulcer, the most widespread type in the population globally :
As we see, we are faced with a relatively silent disease with a much higher prevalence than might initially be expected Once we have contextualized the impact of this type of injuries on society, it is time to dive headlong into the types of ulcers.
Peptic ulcer is an injury that affects the mucosa of the stomach or duodenum , the second case being much more frequent. It can affect both men and women from childhood to old age, as it is estimated that one in 10 people will suffer from it at some point in their lives.
In times past, it was considered that an excessive presence of hydrochloric acid (an essential compound for the digestion of food) in the stomach was the main factor triggering the ulcer process, but More recent research places the microorganism Helicobacter pylori as the main suspect
The majority of reported cases are associated with this bacteria, which, as we have already said, is found in the digestive tract of 50% of the global population. Even so, this infection is usually silent, since only 10 to 20% of those affected will suffer symptoms associated with it at some point in their lives.
H. pylori presents a urease enzyme capable of giving rise to ammonia as a final metabolic product This toxic compound will naturally harm the gastric or duodenal mucosa, favoring the appearance of ulcers. Despite the importance of this pathogen in the process, it has been observed that other factors such as the consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also correlated with the appearance of peptic ulcer.
The most common symptoms of this disease include a feeling of general malaise, vomiting and nausea, corrosive abdominal pain and weight loss Specific treatment becomes essential, since corrosive hemorrhages or gastric perforation are almost guaranteed complications if medical help is not obtained by the patient.
2. Skin ulcers
Less common than the previous ones, but certainly not unimportant, skin lesions are types of ulcers that cause loss of the epidermis and even other deeper layers of the epithelium
An example worth highlighting in this type of lesion is the Buruli ulcer, caused by the bacterial microorganism Mycobacterium ulcerans. This microorganism produces a destructive toxin (mylactone) that causes tissue damage and inhibits the immune response.
This disease, foreign to the Western population, is one of the most neglected emerging pathologies in Africa and South America. The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that until 2010 there were an average of 5,000 cases annually, and although around half are registered today, it certainly continues to be a problem to consider.
This type of ulcers are usually painless and occur in the lower extremities in 60% of cases (legs). They can also occur in a form spread throughout the body. The lesions caused by M. ulcerans can even affect the bone, and one of the greatest dangers they harbor is that they facilitate the entry of other pathogenic bacteria into the patient’s body by leaving a free path in the epidermal ulcer.
Even so, not all skin ulcers are associated with the exposed microorganism. There are pressure injuries (poor irrigation of blood vessels in some dermal area) that occur, for example, in patients in hospitals who are unable to move for long periods of time.
3. Corneal ulcers
This is one of the types of ulcers that affects the ocular apparatus. It is defined as the loss of continuity in the epithelial surface of the cornea that is associated with necrosis or destruction of the underlying tissue. This, naturally, produces intense eye pain in the patient, photophobia and a considerable decrease in visual capacity.
This type of injury It is associated with various infectious agents, such as Staphylococcus aureus , bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas and fungi such as Candida. As we can see, there is a clear pattern between the appearance of ulcers and the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms.
Mouth ulcers are open wounds in the oral tissue that can be caused by different causes, such as autoimmune disorders, gingivitis, herpes simplex, oral cancer, or oral candidiasis
Generally, these injuries are classified as acute or chronic depending on the length of time they remain in the patient.
The symptoms include pain in the oral apparatus, visible lesions and a characteristic loss of appetite. In this case, special mouthwashes are the best allies to address the disease.
Where there is a tissue there can be an invasion
As we have seen, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms is clearly associated with the appearance of ulcerative processes. The epidermis and mucous membranes in contact with the environment are a favorable place for various harmful bacteria because when they grow on our tissues, they tend to discard toxic metabolic compounds that destroy our cells.
Thus, we could spend days and days compartmentalizing the types of ulcer according to the tissue they affect, since we have named a few, but we have left out genital, rectal or vascular ulcers, for example. Some of them do not have to be associated with the presence of bacteria, since for example a lack of irrigation in a specific tissue and poor tissue nutrition can cause local cell death.
What we want to highlight in this space is the need to go to a medical professional if you suspect a gastric ulcer or the presence of an ulcerous lesion in a visible epithelial region. No matter how “unserious” they may seem at first, These wounds are an open door to the entry of various harmful pathogens, which can complicate the patient’s clinical condition very quickly.
