watermelon stomach
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Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
watermelon stomach
A colloquial term for the pathological changes in the stomach that occur in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. The disease affects the stomach by causing vascular ectasia in the antrum.
See also: stomach
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners
watermelon stomach
A malformation of the blood vessels in the stomach lining resulting in an appearance on endoscopic examination resembling the inside of a watermelon. The longitudinal folds of the lining (rugae) contain convoluted columns of blood vessels like the stripes of a watermelon. The condition mainly affects elderly women and results in blood loss into the stools and iron-deficiency ANAEMIA. Surgery or corticosteroid treatment may be necessary.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005