Vitamin B12 deficiency in chronic gastritis
Abstract
Gut, 1964, 5, Vitamin B12 in deficiency chronic gastritis 1. J. WOOD', M. RALSTON', B. UNGAR, AND D. C. COWLING From the Clinical Pathology Department of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Clinical Research Unit of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia Melbourne, Victoria, EDITORIAL SYNOPSIS This a study covers group of elderly persons who suffer from chronic atrophic and vitamin gastritis resulting deficiency. Increasing weakness, loss of memory, and mental B12 depression were common symptoms and flatulent was sometimes a troublesome dyspepsia recurring complaint. These symptoms were improved by treatment with vitamin Even if untreated, B12. in this severe anaemia. persons group rarely develop pernicious The introduction of the flexible suction tube for nervous system. A preliminary study of some of members of our Unit these patients was reported by Wood et al. in 1960, gastric biopsy by (Wood, and its but tests were not as this test Doig, Motteram, Hughes, 1949a) and Schilling performed for necessitates the giving of a large dose of extension jejunal biopsy by Shiner (1956) has vitamin B12, us to with thus interfering with enabled study chronic gastritis special the continuing study. reference to