Two Cases of Gastroduodenal Perforation Following Cesarean Section

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease with its complications in recent centuries has become a disease of global burden associated with high morbidity and mortality. There are several risk factors that have been implicated. These include Helicobacter pylori infection, regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), smoking, alcohol use, steroid use, male gender and low socioeconomic status. The ulcer can be either acute or chronic. Acute ulcers are mostly stress ulcerations with documented risk factors. Bleeding, and rarely perforation are the main complications which remain a surgical challenge. Some underlying causes of gastroduodenal perforation have been reported but remain largely rare. These include gastric carcinoma, ingestion of sharp foreign material, opportunistic infections, metastatic cancer, eating disorders and pregnancy. It is in line with these rare causes that we report two cases of gastroduodenal perforation post cesarean section in two young women, both succumbing to complications of the perforation.