ulcer
Meaning of ulcer: The word names a shape of damage rather than a single disease, so its causes run from pressure to infection to cancer.
Definition of ulcer
An ulcer is a break in a body surface that extends through the full thickness of the lining, leaving an open sore that does not close over promptly. Ulcers form on skin and on the linings of the mouth, stomach, small bowel, lower leg and eye. The floor is raw tissue rather than lining, and the edge is defined rather than gradual.
What separates an ulcer from an erosion?
Depth. A surface loses cells constantly and repairs them from below, and an erosion removes the top layer only, so the tissue underneath rebuilds it without a scar. An ulcer goes through the full thickness of the lining and into the layer beneath, leaving exposed connective tissue as its base. That is why ulcers heal slowly, why they bleed when they reach a vessel, and why they can leave scarring or a hole once healed. The word describes the form of the damage and says nothing about what caused it.
Where do they form?
| Type | Site | Usual driver |
|---|---|---|
| Peptic ulcer | Stomach or duodenum | Helicobacter pylori or anti-inflammatory drugs |
| Pressure ulcer | Skin over a bony point | Sustained pressure cutting off blood flow |
| Venous ulcer | Lower leg above the ankle | High pressure in the leg veins |
| Diabetic foot ulcer | Sole and toes | Lost sensation with poor circulation |
| Aphthous ulcer | Lining of the mouth | Recurrent, cause not established |
No single mechanism runs through that list. Some ulcers are chemical, some result from a failing blood supply, and some are immune. What they share is a defect in a surface that has outpaced repair.
What causes stomach ulcers?
Two causes account for the great majority. One is infection with Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium living in the mucus layer of the stomach, which provokes inflammation and disturbs the control of acid. The other is regular use of an NSAID, the class including ibuprofen and aspirin, which blocks the prostaglandins maintaining protective mucus and blood flow in the stomach lining. Stress and spicy food, long blamed, do not create ulcers, although both can aggravate the symptoms of an existing one. A rarer cause is a hormone-secreting tumor driving acid output far above normal. An ulcer that fails to heal is sampled, since a cancer can present as an ulcer with raised, irregular edges.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Endoscopy revealed a single ulcer in the gastric antrum.
Good to know
Stress and spicy food do not cause peptic ulcers, the majority of which follow Helicobacter pylori infection or the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. An ulcer that does not heal can be the surface of a cancer, which is why persistent ulcers are biopsied.
Word origin
Where “ulcer” comes from
From the Latin ulcus, ulceris, meaning a sore, related to the Greek helkos with the same sense.