Altogether 78 patients were examined over time. They had erosive
reflux esophagitis that complicated the course of
duodenal ulcer (in 42 patients, hypersecretion of
hydrochloric acid was the leading mechanism of the disease development) and chronic gastroduodenitis (36 persons manifested failure of the inferior sphincter of the esophagus with or without excess
acid output). In patients with
peptic ulcer exacerbation, the four-week treatment with
cimetidine or gastrozepine compared very favourably with
almagel and
vicalin as regards the treatment efficacy. In chronic gastroduodenitis, the combination of
almagel,
vicalin and
cerucal produced a
therapeutic effect that did not yield to the effect of
cimetidine or gastrozepine. In 1/5-2/5 of cases, erosive
esophagitis was not amenable by the four-week treatment. In 17 out of 18 such patients, the two-week
therapy with sucralfat (venter) resulted in the disappearance of
esophagitis with multiple erosions. During 1-2 years, erosive
reflux esophagitis recurred in 11 out of 34 patients with
peptic ulcer and in 2 out of 17 suffering from chronic gastroduodenitis. In all the cases, the disease recurred in those patients who had not received systematic treatment with antisecretory and cytoprotector agents.