Layers of the gastric mucosa: lamina propria mucosae, submucous layer, lamina muscularis mucosae. A gastric ulcer is a defect located in the gastric mucosa. The reason is an imbalance between aggressive factors like the gastric acid and protective mechanisms like production of mucus. The most common cause for an ulcer is a gastritis caused by helicobacter pylori (75%). Less common causes are continuous intake of certain medications (pain-killing and anti-inflammatory drugs), physical stress (e.g. work, severe disease), or other diseases (hyperparathyroidism, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome). It is almost no longer assumed that ulcers are caused solely by too much gastric acid. It`s a common disease, in Germany there are about 40000 cases per year.
