Successful treatment of intractable gastric ulcers with acetazolamide

An open-controlled trial performed in gastric ulcer cases resistant to previous cimetidine, antacids, vitamin A and polyvinylbutylether therapy applied for at least 4 weeks. A group of 21 patients treated with acetazolamide was compared with 16 patients treated with cimetidine (controls). The period of management was 3 weeks. The number of healed patients (P = 0.009), the surfaces of ulcers after treatment (P = 0.0166) and the duration of complaints (P = 0.0003) differed favourably and significantly in the acetazolamide group as compared to the cimetidine group. In the acetazolamide group, however, several side effects (in 11 cases metabolic acidosis, in 9 cases tingling of extremities) were registered. Side effects were not seen in the control group. It is supposed that in the treatment of gastric ulcers a compound with less carbonic anhydrase inhibition but with the same or more cytoprotective effect would have wider clinical perspectives than acetazolamide alone.