Stomachs from 1085 female and castrated male, 140-150 days of age pigs, were collected and examined at slaughter. Macroscopic analysis revealed 694 (64.0%) stomachs with some degree of lesion. Parakeratosis alone was found in 213 (19.6%) stomachs. However, in 319 (29.4%) stomachs parakeratosis was associated with erosive, or with erosive and ulcerative processes. Discrete superficial erosions, associated or not with ulcers, were identified in 121 (11.2%) animals. Ulcers, alone, were found in 41 (3.8%) stomachs. These lesions were distributed in the fundic area (6.6%) but, mainly, in the pars oesophagea (62.8%) region, suggesting not only that they are independent, but that they may have different causes. Gastroesophageal ulcers and erosions were affecting 22.7% of castrated males, but only 16.5% of females, possible showing a sex linked interference on the pathogenesis of this syndrome. Microscopic analysis did not enhance or brought an additional aid for a better characterization of the macroscopic lesions, indicating that a fair and judicious macroscopic evaluation can be a good and reliable method for the evaluation of gastric lesions in pigs.
Swine; stomach; gastric lesion; gastric ulcer
