7-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF PATIENTS WITH DUODENAL-ULCER-DISEASE

Background: The activity of duodenal ulcer disease varies not only bet ween patients but also from time to time within patients? and earlier studies have concluded that the disease 'burns out' in many cases. It was the aim of this study to examine duodenal ulcer disease activity o ver a long period, to determine whether the degree of activity is stab le within the individual patient. Methods: A cohort of 145 patients wi th a first-time duodenal ulcer diagnosed in our department between 198 0 and 1985 were followed up for 7 years. The patients' self-reported u se of acid-inhibitory drugs was taken as a measure of disease activity . Results: Twenty-eight per cent of the patients had no or minimal ulc er symptoms during the 7 years after healing of the index ulcer, where as 13% had maximal activity with frequent or continuous use of acid-in hibitory drugs every year or ulcer surgery. A total of 11 patients wer e operated on because of severe ulcer symptoms or complications to the ulcer disease, The disease activity during the first 2 years after di agnosis did not change much during the following 5 years in most of th e patients. Conclusions: The course of duodenal ulcer disease during t he first 2 years after diagnosis was a predictor of the long-term prog nosis with a predictive value of approximately 70%, which may be consi dered satisfactory for decision-making in some clinical situations.