Relationship of erosive gastritis to the acid secreting area and intestinal metaplasia, and the healing effect of pirenzepine.

The extent of acid secreting areas and the distribution of intestinal metaplasia in patients with erosive gastritis, and the healing effects of pirenzepine were examined. Studies were done with the endoscopic Congo red-methylene blue test developed in our hospital. Compared with control patients with no gastroduodenal disease, erosive gastritis was associated significantly more frequently with large acid secreting areas, but little or no intestinal metaplasia was detected in the stomach. A double blind trial was carried out, using 100 mg pirenzepine tablets or placebo for three months in 43 patients with erosive gastritis. Endoscopically, complete healing was significantly more frequent in the pirenzepine treated groups three months after the start of the treatment, as compared with the placebo treated group (p less than 0.05).