Role of ulcer morphology in evaluating prognosis and therapeutic outcome in duodenal ulcer.

Endoscopic morphology of duodenal ulcer (DU) have been studied in 188 patients repeatedly observed in the course of medical therapy (120 with conventional therapy and 68 with Cimetidine alone). The evolutive behaviour under treatment reveals a clear speeding up effect of Cimetidine on the healing time with a smaller number of failed and delayed recoveries and a lower frequency of relapses than after conventional therapy. Endoscopic morphology allows a limited but significant forecast of therapeutic outcome of DU. The shape, the number and partly the location of ulcer in the bulb appear to be the most significant parameters with prognostic influence both on the healing time and on the frequency and early development of relapses.