Gastric acid hypersecretion in children with duodenal ulcer

Rates of gastric hydrochloric acid secretion were compared in 10 children with active duodenal ulcer (DU) and 14 non-duodenal ulcer children. Duodenal ulcer was diagnosed by gastroduodenoscopy or by evidence of an ulcer crater on upper gastrointestinal radiographs. Duodenal ulcer disease was excluded in the comparison group by similar criteria. Basal acid output in DU children tended to be higher, but the difference was not statistically significant (P greater than 0.05). Maximal acid output was significantly higher in DU children than in the comparison group whether expressed as milliequivalents per hour (P less than 0.025) or as milliequivalents per kilogram per hour (P less than 0.005). Peak acid output also showed a statistically significant difference (milliequivalents per hour, milliequivalents per kilogram per hour, (P less than 0.05). These findings demonstrate that, on the average, hypersecretion of gastric acid does occur in children with duodenal ulcer disease.