Helicobacter Pylori Infection: Clinical, Endoscopic and Pathological Findings in Iranian Children

Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection has an important role in promoting gastrointestinal disease in human. It may be acquired early in life, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between H.pylori infection and clinical manifestations in Iranian children. In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, H. pylori status was assessed by pathological examination of gastric biopsy in symptomatic children. A total of 266 patients were diagnosed as infected by H. pylori, compared with 268 uninfected patients matched by age and sex. Reported symptoms, endoscopic and pathological findings in the two groups were analyzed using chi-square test. The limit of statistical significance was set at (P<0.05). The prevalence of H. pylori infection in children suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms was 9% and rised with age (54.9% of infected children were older than 8 years old). Recurrent abdominal pain was the most common symptom in 62.5% of infected children. With regard to gastric endoscopy, a statistically significant correlation was observed between antral nodularity and H. pylori Infection (P=0.000). Gastritis was the most common seen pathology (91.5%) with mostly mild (30.9%) or moderate (34.9%) inactive inflammation. This study demonstrated that emphasis on clinical manifestations rather than paraclinical testing is not suitable to predict H. pylori infection. However, existence of antral nodularity can be assigned as an endoscopic sign of infection in children.