Abstract
It is well known that histamine H2 receptor antagonist is very effective as an anti-ulcer agent. New H2-blocker, ranitidine which shows marked inhibition of gastric secretion, has been developed in recent years. This time, 46 cases with gastric ulcer were treated with ranitidine and endoscopic features in these cases were studied. Unusual endoscopic findings were noted at the healing stage of the ulcers among ranitidine-treated ulcers, such as shallow white coat, protrusion in ulcer floor and so on. These unusual ulcers were named "specific healing group". On the other hand, usual healing process, treated with conventional drugs, was named "ordinary healing group". At this moment, comparative studies between specific healing group (16 cases) and ordinary healing group (30 cases) were done from various view points. Histological studies of biopsy specimens, taken from ulcer floor protrusion at healing stage, proved granulation tissue with slight epithelial regeneration. The period from active stage to healing stage in specific healing group is seemed to be shorter than in ordinary healing group. We concluded that ranitidine had marked repairment effect on early stage of ulcer, independent on size of ulcer, site of ulcer, gastric secretion and plasma gastrin level. Unusual findings in specific healing group ; protrusion in ulcer floor, is seemed to be due to the early regeneration effect of ranitidine.
