Abstract
The relationship of gastroduodenal ulcus, gas-tritis, and gastric chemism in 35 Workers suffering from saturnism and presaturnism was examined. The control group consisted of 94 patients with similar socoeconomic conditions and age. Gastritis was confirmed in 85.6% of saturnism and in 85.5% of presaturnism cases. Hypoacidity was confirmed in all the cases of saturnism and in 56% of cases with presaturnism. Considering both groups, hypoacidity was confirmed in 76.5% of the cases and in 54.4% of control group patients. Ulcus was not noted in cases of saturnism while the existence of presaturnism was noted in 12.5% of confirmed peptic ulcuses. Ulcus absence in saturnism, as well as its greater percentage in other population, indicates that there is no correlation between ulcus and mercury. The greater percentage of gastritis and hypoacidity is very significant