PROSPECTIVE ENDOSCOPIC STUDY OF DUODENAL-ULCER IN ZIMBABWEAN BLACKS

One thousand seven hundred and fourteen Black Zimbabwean patients unde rwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Demographic details of the pat ients were analysed. A randomly chosen cohort of 50 patients with duod enal ulceration was compared to age and sex matched controls regarding lifestyle and H. pylori infection. Five hundred and sixteen patients had active duodenal ulcers, giving a crude prevalence rate of ulcerati on of 456 per 100 000 new hospital cases. There is a difference from t he disease in Western countries in several respects. The incidence app ears 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 ingest ion (p>0,1), Ulceration was most strongly associated with H. pylori ga stritis compared to control (p<0,001). Duodenal ulceration was most pr evalent in the 21 to 30 year age group. The overall male to female rat io was 4,7:1. A significant proportion of patients had persistence of ulceration after a standard course of Cimetidine. Pain did not always correlate with presence or absence of ulcers.