A spasmodic contraction of the pylorus without organic disease has been described by Bentejac.1 He reports the following case:

A man, 59 years old, swallowed a glassful of kerosene by mistake. After this accident he was troubled with intense pains in hi3 epigastric region, but never vomited blood nor did he pass blood with his movements. At the end of eight months there was incessant vomiting and the dilated stomach extended below the navel. Stenosis of the pylorus was diagnosed, and Richelot performed an exploratory laparotomy, but found the pylorus perfectly smooth and normal. The result of the examination during the operation proved that the pylorus was only spasmodically contracted. The operation, however, had the result that the patient ceased to suffer from vomiting, which must be ascribed merely to the suggestive effect of the procedure.

1 Bentejac: These de Paris, 1888.

Pylorospasmus is frequently found in association with ulcer, either of the pylorus or of its immediate neighborhood, and must then be considered as a reflex neurosis. The symptoms produced resemble in most instances a real stenosis of the pylorus; and if several attempts to improve the condition have totally failed, then surgical interference must be resorted to. Bou-veret1 states that pylorospasmus frequently occurs in cases of hyperchlorhydria and especially of hypersecretion. The fact that in these cases the pyloric region is sometimes found to be painful and very tender on pressure, Bouveret refers to an undue spasmodic contraction of the pylorus. I must say that this symptom alone is not sufficient to warrant the assumption of pylorospasmus. The pains which are felt more to the right side may be caused by the undue irritation which too acid chyme exerts during its passage through the pylorus.

1 Bouveret: l. C