Peptic ulcer disease in children and adolescents. A ten-year experience.

We report a retrospective review of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in children seen at Children's Hospital of Michigan, over 10 years (1971-1980). Of the 61 included, 31 had primary ulcers and 30 had stress ulcers. The diagnosis was made by either barium meal or endoscopy, at surgery, or at autopsy. Stress ulcers were commoner in children less than 4 years of age and were precipitated by various conditions leading to shock. The majority of these patients required surgery for perforation or bleeding. Primary ulcers were more common in children older than 4 years. The most common presenting symptoms in this group were abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. The majority of patients with primary PUD received medical therapy in the form of antacids and/or cimetidine. In one-third of these patients, surgery was necessary for complications such as intractable pain, perforation, or massive recurrent hemorrhage.