This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Differential diagnosis

Authoring team

Carcinoma of the pylorus is by far the most important differential diagnosis of adult pyloric stenosis.

Rare causes of pyloric obstruction include:

  • adult pyloric hypertrophy
  • scarring secondary to a benign gastric ulcer near the pylorus
  • a chronic stricture resulting from a duodenal ulcer
  • invasion of the pylorus by malignant lymph nodes e.g. non-Hodgkins lymphoma
  • infiltration from a pancreatic carcinoma

Clues to the aetiology are provided by the history and examination.

  • length of history: a history of several years of characteristic peptic ulcer pain in contrast to cancer with a painless history lasting months
  • gross dilatation of the stomach favours a benign lesion
  • the presence of a mass at the pylorus indicates probable malignant disease. However in rare instances a palpable inflammatory mass in association with a large duodenal ulcer can be detected.

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.