ROLE OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF COMPLICATIONS OF MECKEL DIVERTICULA

Objective: To assess the possible role of colonisation of ectopic gast ric mucosa in Meckel's diverticula by Helicobacter pylori in causing i nflammation, ulceration, perforation and bleeding. Design: Retrospecti ve study. Setting: Three hospitals in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Mate rial: Specimens of 65 diverticula, 49 of which had been resected incid entally, and 16 of which had been thought to be the presenting feature . Main outcome measure: The presence of H. pylori in gastric mucosa. R esults: 19 Diverticula contained ectopic tissue, 18 gastric and one pa ncreatic tissue. Gastric tissue was found in 10 of the diverticula rem oved incidentally, and 8 of those that were thought to be symptomatic. In 5 of the 8 there were signs of complications that might have been related directly to the presence of gastric tissue (perforation-n = 3; bleeding-n = 1; and peptic stenosis-n = 1), and none contained H. pyl ori. H. pylori was found in only one of the 18 diverticula, in which t here were also signs of gastritis. Conclusion: H. pylori has no role i n the pathogenesis of the complications of Meckel's diverticula.