Prospective endoscopic study of duodenal ulcer in Zimbabwean Blacks

Abstract

One thousand seven hundred and fourteen Black Zimbabwean patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Demographic details of the patients were analyzed. A randomly chosen cohort of 50 patients with duodenal ulceration was compared to age and sex matched controls regarding lifestyle mid H. pylori infection. Five hundred and sixteen patients had active duodenal ulcers, giving a crude prevalence rate of ulceration of 456 per 100 000 new hospital cases. There is a difference from the disease in Western countries in several respects. The incidence appears to be increasing in Zimbabwe. There was no significant difference between ulcer patients and controls in their association with alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, urban residence and salicylate ingestion.