Seasonal variations in the frequency of endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer in Israel

The seasonal pattern of endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer disease in a representative Israeli medical center was evaluated retrospectively for the period 1980–1986. We reviewed all 9861 endoscopy records and found 1692 duodenal ulcers. We calculated the percentage of duodenal ulcers of the total examinations performed each month. In Israel, the frequency of duodenal ulcers was significantly increased during January and February and was significantly lower during the months May—June and July-August when compared to the rest of the year.