Development of an ulcer in the side-to-side anastomosis of a jejunal pouch after proximal gastrectomy reconstructed by jejunal interposition: report of a case

We present herein the first reported case of a deep ulceration developing in the pouch of a jejunal side-to-side anastomosis following the interposition of a jejunal U-shaped pouch (jejunal pouch), performed as reconstruction. A 47-year-old woman underwent a proximal gastrectomy and interposition of a jejunal pouch for early gastric cancer, 4 mouths after which she began to develop a fever. Esophagogastroscopy revealed a deep ulceration in the side-to-side anastomosis of the jejunal pouch. Her serum gastrin level was much higher than the normal range, and 24-h monitoring of the intraremnant stomach pH revealed that it was below 7.0 at night. A peptic ulcer was thought to be one of the causes of the pouchitis. Due to the drug-resistant ulceration and fever, a reoperation was performed, in which the jejunal pouch and remnant stomach were removed and Roux-en-Y reconstruction was done. There were no postoperative complications, and the fever resolved after surgery. Reconstruction of the jejunal pouch after proximal gastrectomy is recommended from the standpoint of quality of life (QOL); however, further studies on the size of the remnant stomach and the length of the interposed jejunal pouch are necessary.