FREQUENCY OF PEPTIC-ULCERS IN PATIENTS WITH PORTAL-HYPERTENSION

To find the frequency of peptic ulceration in portal hypertension, 137 patients with porta! hypertension were studied retrospectively. Patie nts with hepatocellular carcinoma, other malignancies or underlying se vere systemic disease were excluded and the remaining 114 patients wer e included in the study. There were 51 males (mean age 49.1 +/- 13.7 y ears) and 33 females (mean age 52.9 +/- 10 years). Portal hypertension was secondary to viral liver disease in 75%. Fifty-seven patients had no evidence of peptic ulcers (group I) and another 57 patients (group II) had peptic ulcers diagnosed during upper gastrointestinal endosco py. There was no significant difference between the two groups regardi ng age, sex, Child-Pugh score or variceal size. Duodenal ulcers were f ound in 24% while gastric ulcers were found in 4.4%; other endoscopic findings included erosive gastritis and duodenitis in 21% and 18.4% re spectively. Twelve percent of the patients from group II developed ble eding from the ulcers and the majority of bleeding ulcers responded to conservative treatment. The study concludes that the frequency of pep tic ulcers in patients with portal hypertension is high. Bleeding pept ic ulcers respond to conservative treatment.