Epidemiology and etiology of "autonomous" nonspecific duodenitis.

In this prospective study we looked for possible epidemiological and etiological factors in "autonomous" nonspecific duodenitis. Of 136 dyspeptic patients who entered the study, duodenitis was found in 25.6% (94.4% chronic duodenitis and 5.6% isolated active duodenitis). Men predominated with a significant prevalence of 74%; 49% of them had white-collar jobs, but age, psychological factors, and the season of the year played no role. We found that smoking and alcohol and coffee intake bore no relation to duodenitis. Helicobacter pylori (HP) was present in only 17.1% of patients with duodenitis, little different from the 10% prevalence in dyspeptic patients without duodenitis. HP was always associated with gastric metaplasia and inflammatory activity.