[Asymptomatic stomach ulcer]

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the frequency and some of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of asymptomatic gastric ulcer, found in persons who attend the Center for Control of Gastrointestinal Cancer of San Cristóbal, Venezuela, as part of a gastric cancer mass screening program. 350 patients with active peptic ulcer were found, 176 duodenal and 174 gastric, diagnosed by means of endoscopy. Of the patients with gastric ulcers, 67 (38.5%) had no symptoms. This group of asymptomatic patients were analyzed regarding age, sex, place of residence, type of work and also the location of the ulcer and the histology. We conclude that this entity is frequent in our region that it is associated with agricultural workers and house wives. It is necessary to continue a prospective periodical evaluation of these patients in order to understand the natural history of the entity.