مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children Undergoing Endoscopy

Abstract :

Objective: Helicobacter pylori is a common infection agent in the world. Morbidity and mortality can be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the frequency of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Materials and Methods: Endoscopy and pathology reports of 428 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy for different reasons between January 2017 and May 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. The diagnosis of H. pylori infection was made on histopathological examination of biopsy samples. Results: 60.7% of the patients were female and the mean age was 9.8±4.6 (1-18) years. Among the indications of endoscopy, growth retardation, suspicion of celiac disease and abdominal pain were listed in the top three. H. pylori positivity was found in 67.1% of the cases. Although there was no significant relationship between the frequency of H. pylori and gender, it was observed that the frequency of H. pylori increased with age. Conclusion: H. pylori infection remains an important public health problem in our country. Considering that the infection is mostly acquired in childhood, the importance of diagnosis and treatment in the early period without any following serious morbidity could be well understood.