HELICOBACTER-PYLORI GASTRITIS - RADIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS

PURPOSE: To determine whether there are useful radiographic criteria f or diagnosing Helicobacter pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs from double-contrast upper gastrointestinal examinations of 88 patient s with H pylori and 41 control subjects were blindly reviewed. The res ults were analyzed by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Thickened gastric folds were detected in 39 patients with H pylori (44%) and nine control subjects (22%). The area under t he ROC curve was 0.62 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.05, P < .01). Among the 48 subjects with thickened gastric folds, polypoid gastritis with thickened, lobulated folds was detected in 24 patients with H pylori (62%) and four control subjects (44%). The area under the ROC curve wa s 0.59 (SD = 0.05, P < .01). No substantial differences were observed in the frequencies of gastric ulcers, erosive gastritis, gastric narro wing, duodenal ulcers, duodenitis, and duodenal narrowing in patients with and without H pylori. CONCLUSION: The presence of thickened gastr ic folds was the best radiographic criterion for differentiating subje cts with from those without H pylori.