NORMAL GASTRIC HISTOLOGY IN HELICOBACTER PYLORI-INFECTED CHILDREN

Background: In adults, Helicobacter pylori infection is always associa ted with gastritis or ulcer. However, very active gastritis and ulcers are rarely seen in children. The aim of the present work was to study the relationships between H. pylori and gastric mucosa in children. M ethods: Eighty infected children and adolescents including 48 (60%) ne urologically impaired institutionalized patients, aged 2 months-22 yea rs (mean 11.7 +/- 5.2 years) were studied retrospectively. All the pat ients underwent gastroscopy, and three antral and two fundic biopsy sp ecimens were taken for histology and bacteriology. Results: A normal g astric mucosa was found in 22 of 80 patients (27.5%), whereas the othe rs had gastritis (n = 58, 72.5%). There were no statistical difference s between patients with normal histology and those presenting with gas tritis for age, sex, ethnic background, symptoms, and the degree of ba cterial colonization. The macroscopic aspect of gastritis was less fre quently found in children with a normal histology compared with those with histological gastritis (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These data show that H. pylori infection can be associated with a normal gastric histo logy in children. (C) 1997 Lippincott-Raven Publishers.