An endoscopic evaluation of the effects of etodolac and diclofenac on the gastric and duodenal mucosa

The effects of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the gastroduodenal mucosa were evaluated by endoscopy and direct photography in 36 healthy men who were randomly assigned to receive 150 mg of diclofenac, 1,200 mg of etodolac, or 600 mg of etodolac daily for seven days. Endoscopy was performed on days 1 and 8. Mild gastric lesions were observed in six subjects. The mean (+/- SD) endoscopy scores on a five-point scale were 0.08 +/- 0.27 after 600 mg of etodolac, 0.25 +/- 0.53 after 1,200 mg of etodolac, and 0.33 +/- 0.62 after diclofenac. No between-group differences were statistically significant. No duodenal lesions were seen. A strong correlation was found between endoscopy scores and photographic reviews. The results indicate that both etodolac and diclofenac cause minimal changes on the gastric mucosa.