| Abstract: | All (151) adult patients in north-east Scotland newly diagnosedin one year (1967) as having a supposedly benign definite gastriculcer crater were studied after a minimum of four years, witha 98 per cent follow-up. Incidence and male to female ratioboth increased with advancing age. Ulcers of the body of thestomach were twice as common as ulcers of the antral region.Major coincidental disease was present in 59 per cent of allpatients and in 97 per cent of those dying, and was the chiefcause of death. Twenty-one patients presented with bleedingbut only one other bled subsequently. One patient presentedwith perforation of gastric ulcer. Two ulcers proved to be malignant.The effect of associated duodenal ulceration on presentationand course was not great. There was a direct correlation betweenshort duration of symptoms and increasing age and mortality.Fifty-five per cent of the medically treated and 60 per centof the surgically treated patients were alive and entirely freefrom gastric ulcer symptoms at the end of the four years; therespective mortalities were 18.2 per cent and 20.3 per cent.For the whole series, life expectation was significantly reducedin the females, but not in the males. |
