How Common Are Duodenal Ulcers?
Approximately 20 million Americans have peptic ulcer disease, and more than 75% of these cases are duodenal ulcers. As many as 4 million Americans develop an ulcer or a recurrence of a previous ulcer each year; more than 75% of those cases are duodenal ulcers. Their incidence peaks in people ages 30 to 60. Men are twice as likely to develop duodenal ulcers as women. What You Can Expect Current medical therapies are usually very effective. Duodenal ulcers are not as severe as gastric ulcers and are almost always benign. Occasionally, a biopsy may be necessary to determine if the ulcer is cancerous. If the ulcer is diagnosed before complications or perforation occur, medication can usually heal the ulcer, provide symptomatic relief, and in most cases, prevent recurrence. Established Causes The cause of duodenal ulcers has not been fully established. Theoretical Causes Ulcers seem to develop when the stomach’s digestive juices, which consist of pepsin and hydrochloric acid, eat into the g
