Benign Gastric Ulcers Occurring in the Presence of Achlorhydria

OVER a period of years there has been a great deal of controversy in the literature regarding the possibility of benign gastric ulcers in the presence of an achlorhydria. Several carefully prepared reports tend to prove that achlorhydria does not exist in the presence of an active ulcer. Palmer and Nutter1 reviewed 2200 cases of proved duodenal and gastric ulcers in 1940 and found in no case a persistent and total achylia. Bockus2 agreed with this in his textbook stating that "true achlorhydria is not found in patients with active peptic ulcer." Washburn and Rozendaal3 reported a series of 906 . . .