Objective: Peptic stenosis, a complication of peptic ulcer disease, is treated by endoscopic balloon dilation or surgery. However, recent reports showed that Helicobacter pylori eradication may resolve peptic stenosis. Thus, we carried out a prospective study on a cohort of patients with peptic stenosis and H. pylori infection to evaluate the efficacy of anti- H. pylori therapy in the treatment of peptic stenosis.
Design/methods: From May 1995 to May 1998 we studied 22 consecutive patients with benign peptic stenosis (16 with duodenal stenosis and six with pyloric stenosis) and H. pylori infection. Searches for H. pylori were made at first diagnosis of peptic stenosis and at every endoscopic control. All patients were treated with an anti- H. pylori treatment (13 with omeprazole/clarithromycin/ metronidazole and nine with omeprazole/amoxycillin/ clarithromycin), followed by 8 weeks' therapy with a proton-pump inhibitor. Endoscopic controls were performed after the end of H. pylori-eradication therapy, at 2 and 6 months, and then every 6 months.
Results: H. pylori eradication was achieved in all patients. Peptic stenosis disappeared completely in 20/22 cases (17/20 after 2 months and 3/20 after 6 months), and in all these patients the symptoms disappeared within 2 months. At the median follow-up of 12.4 months (range 2-24), the patients remained asymptomatic, without recurrence of the stenosis, and needed no medication. In one patient the stenosis disappeared partially and symptoms improved, and it was successfully treated with cisapride. In one patient the stenosis did not disappear despite H. pylori eradication and continuous proton-pump inhibitor treatment. The patient was treated with a liquid diet due to old age, but he died 4 months after H. pylori eradication due to stroke.
Conclusions: H. pylori eradication is a safe and effective therapy for peptic stenosis. Endoscopic balloon dilation or surgery should be used only after failure of this conservative treatment.