Accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori. Urease tests.

Because of their ease of use, rapidity, and cost-effectiveness, rapid urease biopsy tests continue to be an important diagnostic tool for the endoscopist. Various forms of these tests are available in different parts of the world, characteristically leading to sensitivities of 93% to 97% and specificities of 98%. When performing rapid urease tests, the endoscopist should be aware of factors that might lead to false-negative and false-positive results and should ensure that the biopsy specimens are of adequate size and taken from the correct location.