Perforation of duodenal ulcer during barium meal
Gillespie, P.; Riley, J.; Hunt, J.
Australasian Radiology 21(3): 241-242
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-8461 PMID: 616284 Document Number: 122328
Duodenal ulcer perforation during a barium meal is uncommon. In a review of all 140 free ulcer perforations over 13 years; 3 followed a barium meal. During this period, 10,250 such examinations were performed. In the majority of patients, including those that perforated, manual palpation of the duodenal cap and an air contrast technique, were employed. In the 3 patients described here, the maximum diameter of ulceration exceeded 2 cm, the ulcers were situated on the anterior wall of the duodenal cap, and there was a partial pyloric obstruction. Despite the relatively large ulcer size, each patient had a short duration of symptoms prior to the radiological study. Patients with intractable epigastric pain of short duration, where non-ulcer pain has been excluded, should be managed with naso-gastric suction and antacids to achieve a significant decrease in symptoms prior to contrast radiology.