Abstract

Multiple duodenal polyps were found by endoscopy in five out of 33 patients with chronic renal failure and in one of 300 controls. In the uraemic cases the polyps were caused by circumscribed nodular hyperplasia of Brunner's glands. One of these five patients later underwent surgery for duodenal obstruction caused by the polyps; the other patients were asymptomatic. One of the controls had multiple duodenal polyps. The recorded incidence of multiple duodenal polyps was significantly higher among patients with chronic renal failure than in patients without renal disease. Patients with chronic renal failure and polyps did not differ significantly from the other renal patients in the comparison of variables such as gastric acid secretion, serum concentrations of gastrin and group I pepsinogens or mean length of dialysis treatment. The mean pH of gastric resting juice was significantly higher, however, in uraemic patients with polyps than in those without. Uraemic patients displayed a gastric acid secretion capacity within normal range, and significantly raised serum gastrin and group I pepsinogen concentrations.