Prostaglandins in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis: double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.
The efficacy of the prostaglandin analogue, rioprostil, in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis has been assessed in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 25 patients with endoscopic and histological evidence of reflux oesophagitis. At the beginning and end of the study, endoscopic appearances were graded 0-4 (0 = no oesophagitis, 4 = severe oesophagitis) and the symptoms of heartburn, regurgitation, pain and dysphagia were each graded 0-3 (0 = none, 3 = severe). Fourteen patients received rioprostil, 300 micrograms twice daily, and 11 patients received identically marked placebo for a period of 12 weeks. At the end of the study there were no significant differences between the groups in mean (s.d.) endoscopic grading (rioprostil 2.4 (1.3); placebo 1.9 (0.9)) and mean (s.d.) cumulative symptom score (rioprostil 2.5 (3.1); placebo 2.6 (1.5)). Five patients in the rioprostil group reported diarrhoea. Rioprostil had no significant benefit over placebo in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis.
Department of Surgery, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
A D
AD
Purushotham
G R
GR
Gray
D T
DT
Hansell
D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016630:Rioprostil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D016630:Rioprostil