Association between duodenal bulb ulceration and reduced exocrine pancreatic function.

Seventy two patients admitted to a medical department with dyspepsia but without a previous diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease or chronic pancreatitis were studied consecutively. A pancreatic function test (Lundh meal test) and an upper endoscopy was made in all patients. There was no difference in age, sex ratio, occurrence of upper abdominal pain or chronic alcoholism between the groups of patients with reduced pancreatic function (20) and the group with normal function (52). Seven duodenal ulcers were found, two in patients with normal pancreatic function (2/52 = 3.8%; 95% conf lim: 0.5-13.2) and five in patients with reduced pancreatic function (5/20 = 25%; 95% conf lim: 8.7-49.1). This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.01). Duodenitis occurred with equal frequency in the two groups.