Sore that develops in the mucous membrane of the stomach (more frequent in women) or duodenum (accounting for 80percnt of ulcers and more frequent in men) when its ability to resist acid in gastric juice is reduced. It causes burning ache and hungerlike pain. Ulcers can bleed, perforate the abdominal wall, or block the gastrointestinal tract. Stress and diet were blamed until Helicobacter pylori bacteria and long-term use of aspirin and similar drugs were shown to be the two major causes. The former is treated with combination drug therapy and the latter by stopping the causative drugs if possible or with drugs that reduce acid production. A rare cause is Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, in which a tumour causes increased acid secretion. Cigarette smoking slows healing and promotes recurrence.

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Peptic is an adjective that refers to any part of the body that normally has an acidic lumen. 'Peptic' is medical and veterinary terminology, most often used in the context of humans.

Peptic anatomy

The peptic areas of the human body under normal circumstances are the stomach and duodenum. A person with gastroesophageal reflux disease may have an acidic esophagus, particularly at the inferior (lower) end. Also, a person with a Meckel's diverticulum may have cells that produce acid within the diverticulum and therefore may be prone to peptic ulcers and perforation.

A person with an unusual anatomy, such as one who has had a gastrectomy or an esophagectomy with transplantation of the ileum to replace the esophagus, may experience acidity in parts of the body that would not normally be acidic.

In all normal humans and in almost all humans, only the gastrointestinal tract is peptic.

Peptic diseases

A common problem with the peptic areas of the body is peptic ulcer. These ulcers are most commonly caused by bacteria, and not by the acidic environment.