Mallory Weiss Syndrome - Symptoms and Treatment

Mallory Weiss Syndrome is bleeding from an arterial blood vessel in the upper gastrointestinal tract, caused by a mucosal gastric tear at or near the point where the esophagus and stomach join. Mallory Weiss Syndrome causes about 5% of all upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A condition characterized by mucosal tears at the Esophagogastric Junction, sometimes with Hematemesis. It is caused by forceful bouts of retching or Vomitting.A disorder of the lower end of the esophagus caused by severe retching and vomiting and characterized by laceration associated with bleeding, or by penetration into the mediastinum, with subsequent inflammation.

Causes of Mallory Weiss Syndrome

Mallory Weiss Syndrome is usually caused by forceful or prolonged vomiting or coughing or excessive vomiting or retching, it may also be caused by epileptic convulsions, violent and lengthy bouts of coughing or vomiting can cause the tears that lead to Mallory-Weiss Syndrome.

Symptoms of Mallory Weiss Syndrome

following are the major symptoms of Mallory Weiss Syndrome

• Vomiting of blood, often following prolonged or forceful vomiting or retching.
• One quarter of patients with Mallory-Weiss tears have no prior history of vomiting
• Bloody stools

Treatment of Mallory Weiss Syndrome

Mallory Weiss Syndrome can be treated by blood transfusions and intravenous fluids. The blood transfusions and intravenous fluids will help restore the fluid and electrolyte balance. Other treatment are as follows:

• The majority of bleedings stop with conservative therapy in the hospital.
• Putting the patient on intravenous fluids until the bleeding stops
• Liquid diet after bleeding stops, gradually advancing to solids
• Avoiding alcohol and other drugs
• Medications to decrease vomiting are often prescribed.
• The bleeding can also be stopped during endoscopy using electro-coagulation (i.e., heating and burning the tear until it forms a scar), or by injecting medications such as Epinephrine.
• 5% of cases require surgery for uncontrolled bleeding. Surgery is also indicated when conservative therapy fails.