Duodenal ulcer in rural Haiti I. Clinical features. II. Gastric secretory studies.

I. In a study of 100 duodenal ulcer patients in rural Haiti, pyloric obstruction was present initially in nine per cent, but later developed in an additional 20 per cent. This high incidence of obstruction is similar to that observed in other tropicla populations in Africa and India. II. Standardized tests for basal and stimulated acid secretion in a small group of duodenal ulcer patients in rural Haiti were not elevated. The implication of the study is that either the test must be modified for different populations or the role of acid secretion in the pathogenesis of the disease questioned.