Background/aims: The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical course of disease in 63 duodenal ulcer (DU) patients during a 4-year follow-up after Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication.
Methodology: Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and a clinical interview were performed before antimicrobial therapy, 2 months after, yearly and when symptoms recurred. Two antral and two corporal specimens were taken for histology, and one additional specimen from antrum was taken for rapid urease test at the first endoscopy and for culture at the following endoscopies. All patients received triple antimicrobial regimens based on colloidal bismuth subcitrate, amoxycillin and metronidazole for at least 2 weeks. Patients with a negative histology and culture 2 months after antimicrobial therapy were included in the study.
Results: After H. pylori eradication, ulcer recurrence dropped from 84.1% per year in the year before H. pylori eradication to a mean value of 5.2% per year during 2076 patient months (p<0.01). The increased incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was found only in the first year of the follow-up period. The average percentage of anti-ulcer drug users per year was 30.8% because of GERD, reflux symptoms, ulcer recurrence or non-ulcer dyspepsia. Ulcers or acute erosions recurred in 9 H. pylori-negative patients; recurrences were attributable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in 4 out of 9 cases (44.4%).
Conclusions: H. pylori eradication changed the long-term course of DU disease.