Duodenal ulcer in the Sudan. Clinical features and treatment with H2 blockers.

In a prospective study, 168 Sudanese patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were studied. The mean age was 36 (SD 3) years and the male:female ratio was 3:1. Most of the patients belonged to the lower social class (class 3) and the chief presenting features were long standing epigastric pain (72.6%), heartburn (66.4%) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (45.5%). The endoscopic appearance of the ulcers was severe in 40% of patients; this, together with the genetic and distinct dietary factors, may have contributed to the low healing rates following treatment with H2 receptor blockers.