Influence of the site of a duodenal ulcer on its mode of presentation

The aims of this study were to define the localization of duodenal ulcer and to determine whether the site influenced the initial presentation. Eight hundred eighty-four duodenal ulcer patients diagnosed by endoscopy in Singapore and Sydney were studied. The ulcer was situated on the anterior wall of the bulb in 49% and the posterior wall of the bulb in 23%. The distribution was not influenced by sex, age, or the center of diagnosis. Those situated posteriorly in the bulb were more likely to present with hemorrhage than those situated elsewhere.