Prognosis of completely healed gastric ulcer.

Eighty patients with chronic gastric ulcer, shown to have complete healing by gastric photography, were followed for 18 months to nine years. Ulceration recurred in 24, always at the site of the original ulcer, the majority (14) of relapses occurring within 12 months. Those with recurrent ulcers were more likely to show delayed healing of their initial ulcer, than the ulcers not shown to recur. At two months, this was statistically significant (P = 0.004) and even more so at three months (P = 0.004). Recurrences were more frequent in males (P = 0.09). There were no differences in ulcer site or size compared with those ulcers not known to have occurred. The appearance of complications such as perforation, haemorrhage, or malignancy was rare after complete healing.