[Retroperitoneal perforation of a duodenal ulcer (author's transl)]

A case or retroperitoneal perforation of a duodenal ulcer is presented. Firstly was erroneously diagnosed as an acute appendicitis, and operated upon. The result were good but four successives surgical gests became necessary : first, to treat a very severe parietal infection ; after that, to resolve one very impressive gastro-intestinal hemorrhage and lastly, to treat the duodeno-cutaenous fistula and the duodenal ulcer. The published cases in the recent literature are very scanty but similar to ourselves. The difficulties of promp diagnosis, the erroneously planned first operation in seriously ill patients would be the main causes of the very high mortality.