Upper gastrointestinal tract barium examination of postbulbar duodenal ulcers.

Abstract

The purpose of our investigation was to review the findings on barium studies in a series of eight patients with postbulbar duodenal ulcers in order to better characterize the clinical and radiographic features of these ulcers. Our experience suggests that ulcers in the postbulbar duodenum are considerably larger than those in the duodenal bulb and that they constitute a greater percentage of all duodenal ulcers than has previously been recognized. It is important for radiologists to be familiar with the characteristic radiographic features of postbulbar ulcers because of the increased risk of serious upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding in patients with this condition.