Short- and long-term studies of duodenal ulcer with sucralfate

We undertook a series of double-blind studies test the efficacy of sucralfate in the treatment of active duodenal ulcers and the prevention of relapse. In addition, we undertook studies to test the hypothesis that there is a fundamental localized weakness in the duodenum, where ulcers tend to recur. In the short-term study, 80% of patients on sucralfate and 52% on placebo healed their ulcer in 6 weeks (chi 2 = 6.3672; p less than 0.025). The long-term (1-year) study is still underway, but preliminary results show that 37% on maintenance sucralfate and 78% on placebo have had a relapse of duodenal ulcer (Fisher's exact p = 0.0176). A prospective study to ascertain the site of recurrence of duodenal ulcers revealed that 58% recur at the same site in the same quadrant, and a further 31% recur in a adjacent quadrant; thus, a total of 89% recurred in the same hemisphere. We believe this indicates that a weakness in the duodenal cap at a specific site leads to relapse in that area.