Evaluation of dyspeptic symptoms in patients with and without Helicobacter pylori infection and normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

BACKGROUND

A relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and dyspeptic symptoms has not yet been demonstrated.

AIM

To evaluate any possible difference in symptom score between dyspeptic patients with and without H. pylori infection who have normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and no other appreciable gastrointestinal or systemic disease.

PATIENTS

A series of consecutive patients affected by upper abdominal disturbances completed a symptoms questionnaire before undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with a rapid urease test to detect H. pylori infection. Patients with normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and abdominal ultrasound were included in the study. The symptoms assessed were burping and belching, bloating, odynophagia, dysphagia, postprandial fullness, heartburn, early satiety, nausea, vomiting, regurgitation, sour taste in mouth, epigastric pain at fasting, epigastric pain postprandial, epigastric pain nocturnal, and pain in right hypocondrium and were scored in terms of intensity and frequency on a scale from 0 to 4.

RESULTS

The total number of patients who met the inclusion criteria was 263 out of 1187 examined. A total of 113 H. pylori-positive and 150 H. pylori-negative patients were compared. Among the symptoms evaluated, belching and bloating and heartburn were present in more than 50% of patients of both groups. No statistical difference was found in terms of presence or absence of each symptom, and intensity or frequency between H. pylori-positive and -negative patients.

CONCLUSION

H. pylori infection does not seem to be associated with a specific symptom in patients with upper abdominal complaints and normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.