The treatment of perforated duodenal ulcer.

The prognosis of 189 patients with a perforated duodenal ulcer was analysed. There were three treatment groups, non-operative, simple closure and definitive ulcer surgery. The prognosis of the patients was analysed in terms of the chronicity of the ulcer. Perforations occurring in acute duodenal ulcers have an excellent prognosis, with similar results in each group in this series. All perforations of chronic duodenal ulcers should be treated by emergency surgery.