3D Printed Chronic Gastric Ulcer

3D Printed Chronic Gastric Ulcer Clinical History This elderly patient had a long history of “indigestion”. He collapsed and died after a massive stoke. PathologyThe specimen is a 2cm coronal slice of tissue, which incorporates a portion of stomach diaphragm, liver and pancreas. The specimen has been opened to display a large ulcer at the upper end of the lesser curvature near the gastro-oesophageal junction. Macroscopically, the loss of substance at the site of the ulcer is oval, has 5-6cm in diameter and slightly elevated borders. The base is clean and smooth with no evidence of haemorrhage. The gastric wall surrounding the ulcer is indurated, because of the fibrosis that involves the base of the ulcer and spreads beneath the surrounding mucosa. Being retractile, the fibrosis manages to “pull” the gastric mucosa towards the base of the ulcer, so that gastric mucosal folds converge radially around the loss of substance (this feature is not seen in ulcer