Gastric and duodenal ulcers in the same patient.

The present prospective analysis shows that duodenal ulcers far more frequently than gastric ulcers are followed by a secondary ulcer. In patients with a gastric ulcer the cumulated 6-years probabilities of developing secondary ulcers thus was 8.8% while the corresponding risk of secondary ulcer in patients with duodenal ulcer was 3.7%. The probability of developing secondary ulcers was the same in men and women, and independent of the site and nature of the morphologic changes in the stomach and duodenum respectively. However, among patients with a gastric ulcer younger patients seem particularly apt to develop secondary ulcers. The total probability of having both types of ulcer diagnosed in patients fulfilling the criteria of the ulcer disease was estimated at approx. 12%; but certain observations indicate an even higher frequency of the disease.