Prevention of ulcer recurrence after eradication of Helicobacter pylori: a prospective long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Short-term follow-up studies show lower relapse rates of duodenal and gastric ulcers after successful Helicobacter pylori eradication. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term outcome of ulcer disease after successful H. pylori eradication.

METHODS

We prospectively studied the long-term effect of H. pylori eradication on ulcer recurrence rates in patients after endoscopically proven healing of duodenal or gastric ulcers between 1984 and 1995. Patients using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, or maintenance antisecretory therapy were excluded. H. pylori infection was assessed by culture and histopathology of gastric biopsy specimens. After endoscopically proven ulcer healing and successful H. pylori eradication, 186 patients with ulcers underwent elective endoscopy every 3 months during the first year of follow-up and were advised to contact us at symptom recurrence. Thereafter, 96 patients were available for elective half-yearly endoscopies. The 89 patients who did not choose to undergo the repeated endoscopies were asked about symptom recurrence and to undergo elective endoscopy in 1995.

RESULTS

Successful H. pylori eradication was achieved in 141 patients with duodenal ulcers and 45 patients with gastric ulcers. None of the 141 H. pylori-eradicated patients with duodenal ulcers had an ulcer relapse after follow-up of 367 patient-years. Ulcer relapses were also absent in the 45 H. pylori-eradicated patients with gastric ulcers after 113 patient-years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Excluding patients taking aspirin or NSAIDs, recurrence of duodenal or gastric ulcers is completely prevented after successful H. pylori eradication for up to 9.8 years.