Chronic duodenal and gastric ulcer.

During the past two decades, major advances have been made in our understanding of basic gastric physiology. Appreciation of cellular biology has contributed to rapid progress in gastric pharmacology. Clinicians may choose from a large and rapidly growing list of antiulcer drugs. The proper choice of medical or surgical therapy depends on knowledge of the pathophysiology of peptic ulceration and of the inherent limitations of each approach. Selective drug use, tailoring of medical regimens to individual clinical situations, and the combination of medical and surgical treatments will play prominent roles in the future management of peptic ulceration.