The initial results of a study set up to investigate the gastric mucosa in rheumatic patients receiving ibuprofen are described. The study involved seven male patients, aged between 17 to 70 years, suffering from various rheumatic diseases. All patients received a daily dose of 1200 mg of ibuprofen per os divided into three fractions and taken over periods of treatment ranging from one to six weeks. On the data obtained by the gastric secretion test, endoscopy, and specific histological and ultrastructure studies it is concluded that, in the cases investigated, ibuprofen could not be shown to be responsible for any significant modification of the gastric mucosa.

This study evaluated flurbiprofen-induced alterations of the gastric mucosa in 9 patients suffering from various rheumatic diseases.All patients were given a daily 300 mg dose orally, divided in three parts, the treatment being 2,3 and 4 weeks.Before and after treatment, patients were submitted to radiologic and gastroduodenal examinations, as well as oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and biopsies were taken from the antrum and the fundus of the stomach. Biopsy material was studied by light microscopy.We concluded that this drug was welltolerated and not responsible for significant alterations of the gastric mucosa.