An Assessment of Gastric Acid Secretory Response with 'maximal' Augmented Histamine Stimulation in Children with Peptic Ulcer.

Numerous recent reports have outlined the clinical profile of childhood peptic ulcer (Alexander, 1951; Fallstrom and Reinand, 1961; Gadiyar, Taneja, and Ghai, 1963; Girdany, 1953; Michener, Kennedy, and Du Shane, 1960; Muggia and Spiro, 1959; Ramirez Ramos, Kirsner, and Palmer, 1960). Investigation of its pathogenesis, however, has not received much attention. There is general agreement that peptic ulceration cannot persist in the absence of acid and pepsin (Grossman, 1951). The concept of a physiological balance between two sets of opposing forces, i.e. the hydrochloric acid and pepsin on the one hand and mucosal resistance on the other, have given a dynamic approach to the problem (Shay, 1959). The present study was undertaken to assess the role of gastric hydrochloric acid in the aetio-pathogenesis of childhood duodenal ulcer.