[Usefulness of long-term follow-up of gastric ulcer: a case load contribution to the natural history of gastric ulcer in relation to treatment with H2-blockaders].

Thorough long-term clinical, endoscopic and biopsy follow-up (from 6 months to greater than 8 years; mean follow-up: 3 years 3 months) of a group of 202 cases of apparently benign gastric ulcer has enabled us to evaluate the natural history of gastric ulcer in relation to medical therapy with H2-blockers and to patient compliance when using such drugs. The results confirm the efficacy of H2-antagonist therapy in gastric ulcer healing and in the prevention of relapse. Thorough follow-up, moreover, made it possible to keep surgical operations for non-neoplastic causes down to very low numbers, only 3 patients (1.5%) being operated on for haemorrhagic emergencies and 12 (6%) for non-response to therapy.