
gastrointestinal
ulceration and central
nervous system lesions
there is both a real and an apparent in-
crease in the incidence of severe gastroin-
testinal ulceration due to central nervous
lesions.  some of this increased incidence
reflects recently devised iatrogenic measures
including new drugs and surgical therapy.
in adults, cerebrovascular lesions are the
commonest single cause of acute peptic ul-
ceration found at autopsy.  in children, we
found 25 instances of upper gastrointestinal
ulceration due to central nervous system le-
sions in 1,750 autopsies.  two general ana-
tomical categories could be recognized: acute
ulceration and malacias.
a variety of causative central nervous sys-
tem lesions was responsible in these 25 cases,
the commonest being bacterial meningitis.
other causes were poliomyelitis, brain tu-
mor, hydrocephalus, etc.
theories of pathogenesis are presented.
more experience with both drug and surgical
therapy is needed.  the recent development
of local freezing techniques offers promise
for reduction of mortality.
