Comparison of cimetidine and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate in healing and relapse of duodenal ulcers.

A comparison between cimetidine and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate liquid (TDB) in the treatment of endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer by single-blind randomized trial in 48 patients has shown 18 (75%) out of 24 patients receiving TDB and 13 (54%) out of 24 patients receiving cimetidine healed after 4 weeks' therapy. Symptomatic improvement within 1 month was seen in 19 patients on TDB and 18 patients on cimetidine, but did not only occur in patients whose ulcers healed. On follow-up, endoscopically proven relapse occurred within 1 year in 47% of patients whose ulcers had healed during treatment with TDB in comparison with 60% of those healing on cimetidine.