THE INFECTIOUS ETIOLOGY OF PEPTIC-ULCER DISEASE - DIAGNOSIS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY

During the past decade, peptic ulcer disease has become recognized as multifactorial in etiology, with a major component thought to be infec tion of the gastric mucosa with a spiral-shaped bacterium known as Hel icobacter pylori. This organism has been found to cause most cases of chronic gastritis and is clearly pathogenic in most cases of duodenal and gastric ulceration. Biologic characteristics, epidemiology, and me thods of detection (invasive and noninvasive) of H. pylori are discuss ed from a clinical perspective. Finally, eradication of H. pylori infe ction is difficult because of bacterial resistance and patient noncomp liance.