Spectrum of endoscopic findings in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection in a Nigerian tertiary institution

Background and Objectives: Helicobacter pylori is a widely prevalent infection considered a significant public health challenge. Nigeria has the highest worldwide H. pylori prevalence. It is a notable cause of gastric cancer; thus, prompt diagnosis and treatment are required for eradication. The study aimed to determine the spectrum of endoscopic findings in patients with H. pylori infection at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study over a 4-year period on dyspeptic patients who presented at the hospital. Diagnosis of H. pylori infection was made through non-invasive techniques and patients who tested positive for H. pylori and were further assessed with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included in the study. A descriptive analysis of the data obtained was carried out using SPSS version 20. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine patients tested positive for H. pylori infection (46%) out of the two hundred and eighty dyspeptic patients evaluated during the period under study. However, only fifty-two (52) out of 129 dyspeptic patients who tested positive for H. pylori had upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and thus met the inclusion criteria. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed predominantly gastritis 37 (71.15%). This was followed by esophagitis in two (7.7%), duodenal ulcer two (3.8%), gastric ulcer three (5.8%), gastro-duodenitis four (7.7%), and gastric malignancy in two (3.8%) patients. Conclusion: Our study revealed that gastritis was the predominant endoscopic finding in patients with H. pylori infection. This finding is particularly significant because of the risk of development of gastric cancer in these patients from recurrent episodes of gastritis following late diagnosis and inappropriate treatment.