In the literature, the nodular aspect of gastric antritis is described as s
trongly suggesting a H. pylori infection in children. In our study 321 chil
dren aged from 2 to 15 years, were examined from January 1990 to March 1995
, in order to verify this correlation. The endoscopic examination showed th
at 89 children of 183 infected by H. pylori (49% cases) had a normal digest
ive endoscopy. Seventy-three children showed a nodular antritis; 66 of them
(90% cases) were H. pylori positive. Fourteen cases of duodenal ulcers wer
e noticed; 11 among them (79% cases) were H. pylori positive. The histology
showed that 183 children had a gastritis, of whom 167 were H. pylori posit
ive (91% of antral gastritises). Gastritis was of follicular type in 84% of
children showing a nodular antritis which is not constant in the Tunisian
child (36% cases), but in 90% of cases it was associated to the presence of
H. pylori, suggesting that it is a specific aspect of H. pylori infection
in children. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.