Is There a Difference between Endoscopic Finding and Helicobacter pylori Infection in Patients with Chronic Gastritis?

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study verifies whether endoscopic findings differ according to the infection of Helicobacter pylori in patients with chronic gastritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study surveyed upper gastrointestinal symptoms of 382 patients with chronic gastritis and conducted esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The endoscopic findings were classified according to the Sydney classification, as edema, erythema, friability, exudates, flat erosion, raised erosion, rugal hyperplasia, atrophy, visibility of vascular pattern, intramural bleeding spot, nodularity, respectively in antrum, body, fundus. RESULTS: 1) The average age of 382 patients was 52.3 years and there were 176 males and 206 females. 2) Among 382 patients, 167 (43.7%) had epigastric pain syndrome and 215 (56.3%) had postprandial distress syndrome. 3) Among 167 patients with epigastric pain syndrome, 85 (51.1%) patients were infected with H. pylori, while 82 (48.9%) patients were uninfected. Among 215 patients with postprandial distress syndrome, patients infected with H. pylori were 102 (47.6%), while those uninfected with H. pylori were 113 (52.4%). This shows no difference between patients with and without H. pylori infection (P>0.05). 4) Compared to patients uninfected with H. pylori, those infected with H. pylori had more erythema (70.2% vs. 66.4%, P>0.05) in antrum, (48.5% vs. 45.2%, P>0.05) in body, and (36.4% vs. 32.7%, P>0.05) in fundus, which shows no difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients infected with H. pylori tend to show more erythema, while those uninfected with H. pylori showed more atrophy. However, such difference between two groups was statistically insignificant, leading to a conclusion that endoscopic findings do not differ according to H. pylori infection.