Ultrasonography of benign gastric ulcers. Characteristic features and sequential follow-ups.

Ultrasonography was performed for 15 patients with gastric ulcers, after tap water ingestion using 5-MHz and/or 7.5-MHz transducers. Sonographic signs of gastric ulcer were classified as gastric wall edema associated with ulcer crater (six cases) and gastric wall edema only (nine cases). The latter nine included two cases of perforation of gastric ulcers that were depicted as gastric wall edema associated with fluid collection. Ultrasonography proved useful for detecting benign ulcerations and can be used to supplement follow-up examinations, but it cannot replace endoscopy and contrast radiography.