Quality of gastric ulcer healing evaluated by endoscopic ultrasonography

AIM: To evaluate the quality of gastric ulcer healing after different antiulcer treatment by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). METHODS: The patients were divided into three groups, and received lansoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin for 1 wk. Then group A took lansoprazole combined with tepreton for 5 wk, group B took lansoprazole and group C took tepreton for 5 wk. Endoscopy and EUS were performed before and 6 wk after medication. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in cumulative healing rate to S stage between the groups (89%, 82% vs 83%, P>0.05). The rate of white scar formation was significantly higher in group A than in groups B and C (67%, 36%, 50%, P<0.05). The average contraction rates of the width of ulcer crater, length of disrupted muscularis propria layer and hypoechoic area were higher in group A than in groups B and C (0.792 +/- 0.090, 0.660 +/- 0.105 vs 0.668 +/- 0.143, P<0.05). The hypoechoic area disappeared in four cases of group A, one of group B and two of group C. The percentage of hypoechoic area disappearance was higher in group A than in the other two groups (44%, 9% vs 17%, P<0.05). Gastric ulcer healing was better in group A. CONCLUSION: The combined administration of proton-pump inhibitors and mucosal protective agent can improve gastric ulcer healing. (C) 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.