Incidence of duodenal ulcer and its surgical management in a teaching hospital in Bangladesh.

Duodenal ulcer patients with or without complications admitted in the surgical departments of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) during the period of 13 years from 1980-1992 were studied retrospectively. Duodenal ulcer accounted for 10/1000 admission and five operations per week. Of the 1623 patients with uncomplicated ulcer, only 623 needed surgical treatment. However, all of the 1599 who presented with pyloric stenosis, 1047 with peritonitis due to perforation, and 13 with hematemesis were operated upon. This study confirms previously published reports of high incidence of duodenal ulcer admissions in the hospital but shows a diminishing number in the uncomplicated cases requiring surgery.