[Ranitidine in the treatment of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent-induced damage of the stomach and duodenal mucosa. Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind study in patients with rheumatic diseases].

46 patients with rheumatic diseases suffering from dyspepsia and endoscopically proven gastroduodenal lesions entered a double-blind placebo-controlled study with ranitidine 150 mg b.i.d. over 4-8 weeks. The patients had to be treated for at least 3 months with the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) Diclofenac, Indomethacin, and Piroxicam before entering the study. During the trial all patients had to continue on NSAID. At entry patients in the placebo group (n = 23) had a total number of 33 gastrointestinal lesions of grade 1-3. In the ranitidine group (n = 23) a total number of 28 gastrointestinal lesions had been counted. After 4 weeks of treatment the number of lesions had been reduced in the placebo group to 20 and in the ranitidine group to 6 (p less than 0.05). The total damaging score at entry averaging 2.0 under placebo and 1.0 under ranitidine had been reduced to 1.3 (placebo) and 0.3 (ranitidine). (p less than 0.05). Our results underline the efficacy of ranitidine in the treatment of NSAID-induced gastroduodenal mucosal lesions.