TITLE:
Prevalence and Endoscopic Findings of Helicobacter pylori Infection among Dyspeptic Patients in Kenya
AUTHORS:
Catherine N. Mwangi, Stephen Njoroge, Allan Rajula, Ahmed Laving, Rose Kamenwa, Smita Devani, Andrew Nyerere, Gunturu Revathi
KEYWORDS:
Helicobacter pylori, Dyspepsia, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), Histopathological Examination
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Microbiology,
Vol.10 No.4,
December
30,
2020
ABSTRACT: Background: Helicobacter pylori is the most common cause of chronic human infections worldwide with the highest
reported prevalence in Africa. It is associated with numerous upper
gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer.
Endoscopic findings in the stomach usually associated with Helicobacter pylori infections include
gastritis and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), however, these findings
are suggestive but not diagnostic of Helicobacter pylori infection. Methods: This was a prospective
study conducted between January 2018 and February 2019 at the Aga Khan University
Hospital where dyspeptic patients scheduled for gastroduodenoscopy were
enrolled. These patients were evaluated for Helicobacter pylori infection by rapid
urease test, culture and histopathology. Diagnostic findings and patient
history collected from medical files were documented and data analyzed. Results: A total of 487 dyspeptic
patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy
(EGD) were enrolled in the study and 199 dyspeptic patients were positive
for Helicobacter pylori infection. The prevalence was 54.6% in males and 45.4% in
females (p = 0.1546. The most common clinical indication and endoscopic findings
were heart burn (25.2%) and gastritis (53.7%). Histopathology revealed that
86.1% of the dyspeptic patients had chronic active gastritis (p H. pylori infection. Conclusions: Classical
endoscopic findings such as GERD are not always indicative of H. pylori infection as its association with H. pylori infection was not
statistically significant in this study.