PMID: 8449565Mar 1, 1993Paper

Helicobacter pylori in the pediatric patient

Gastroenterology Clinics of North America
B Drumm

Abstract

H. pylori is the major cause of gastritis in children and adults. Studies in children have demonstrated a specific association between H. pylori and primary gastritis. H. pylori colonization of the gastric mucosa is also important in relation to the natural history of duodenal ulcer disease. Duodenal ulcers do not appear to relapse if H. pylori is cleared from the gastric mucosa. Because of the low incidence of duodenal ulcer disease in children, a multicenter study is required to demonstrate whether this finding is true in children. To date, no specific symptoms have been associated with the presence of H. pylori gastritis in children. H. pylori gastritis may therefore be an asymptomatic condition in the majority of infected children. Further studies in relation to H. pylori gastritis and symptoms in children will be important because it should be easier to identify specific symptoms in children than in adults. H. pylori gastritis in children can be diagnosed by obtaining antral biopsy specimens for culture and histologic study during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Serologic study is also a sensitive and specific indicator of H. pylori infection, provided that children's sera are used to standardize the assay. Noninvasive t...Continue Reading

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