A preliminary study of scanning electron microscopic changes of the duodenum during healing of duodenal ulcers.

Using the scanning electron microscope, changes in the rat duodenum have been studied during the healing of gastric secretagogue-induced duodenal ulcers on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 10th days post-infustion. A montage technique with fine resolution has allowed both the entire area of the duodenum and the cellular organization in individual villi in proximity to the ulcers to be investigated. There was a considerable range of appearances noted at any one time point due to the variations in the size and depth of the original area of ulceration. On day 1, there was acute destruction of the mucosal surface with distortion of the villi at the ulcer margin. By the 3rd day, some specimens already showed full epithelialization over the defects whereas others up to day 10 revealed persistent areas of ulceration. Occasional specimens showed areas suggestive of gastric surface metaplasia on the villous surface adjacent to these ulcers.