Helicobacter pylori infection is thought to be a causal factor in various d
ermatological disorders.,We assessed the frequency of H pylori infection in
65 patients with hereditary angioneurotic oedema. We measured the serum co
ncentration of antibodies against H pylori and did the carbon-14-urease bre
ath test in patients with positive H pylori serology. 19 of 65 patients had
H pylori infection. All patients with infection, and 11 of 46 without infe
ction, had a history of recurrent episodes of acute abdominal pain. We succ
essfully eradicated H pylori infection in IS patients. The frequency of abd
ominal symptoms was significantly higher in the Infected group (p=0.002 aft
er adjustment for age). In nine of 19 patients with dyspepsia, the frequenc
y of oedematous episodes decreased from 100 over 10 months before eradicati
on to 19 during the 10-month follow-up period. Screening for, and eradicati
on of, H pylori infection seems to be justified in patients with hereditary
angioneurotic oedema.