Peptic disease in paediatric patients: a diagnostic and therapeutic contribution.

A retrospective clinical study was conducted in 267 children referred to the Verona University Institute of Paediatrics over the period from June 1985 to May 1989 for peptic symptoms. The aim was to obtain data on the incidence of peptic disease in paediatric patients and on the efficacy of various types of pharmacological active principles in treatment of the acute phase and of relapses. All cases observed were subjected to endoscopy (also combined with biopsy in cases presenting signs of inflammatory ulcer disease), which revealed the presence of mucosal abnormalities in 125 patients (46.8%), diagnosed as follows: oesophagitis (44 cases), gastritis and duodenitis (73 cases) and peptic ulcer (8 cases). Among the drugs used, ranitidine proved highly effective, producing healing in all cases reporting for follow-up, and showed excellent tolerability.