EFFICACY OF LANSOPRAZOLE AGAINST PEPTIC-ULCERS INDUCED BY NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS - ENDOSCOPIC EVALUATION OF ULCER HEALING

Beyond the obvious step of limiting use of non-steroidal antiinflammat ory drugs (NSAIDs), the treatment of ulcers induced by NSAIDs remains controversial. We evaluated the efficacy of the proton-pump inhibitor lansoprazole on NSAID-induced ulcers. Ulcers were endoscopically diagn osed in 47 NSAID users. These patients received 30 mg/day lansoprazole , orally, for 6 or 8 weeks (6 weeks for duodenal ulcers and 8 weeks fo r other ulcers). Ulcer healing was assessed using an established class ification system. The presence of immunoglobulin G antibody against He licobacter pylori was also evaluated. The antibody was present in the sera of 51% of patients (24/47). Most of the ulcers reached scarring s tages S, (healing) or S, (good healing), and the S, healing rate was 3 5%. Two H. pylori seropositive patients did not reach these stages; th eir ulcers were improved by H. pylori eradication therapy, followed, i n one case, by medication with misoprostol. Lansoprazole seemed to be useful for most patients with NSAID-induced ulcers, but a few needed a dditional treatments.