Endoscopic features of Helicobacter pylori induced gastritis.

It's still controversial whether certain macroscopic endoscopic features can be used to diagnose Helicobacter pylori (HP) related gastritis. The literature dealing with this subject is confusing, because of the lack of precise terminology, no large control trials, major discrepancies in interpretations of macroscopic changes and poor correlation of the macroscopic appearance and histological finding of gastritis. We conducted a prospective study of 208 dyspeptic patients, who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopies from February 1997 to June 1997. Only those patients who had either normal looking gastric mucosa or macroscopic gastritis were included in the study. Endoscopically normal looking mucosa was seen in 67 patients (65.6%), erythematous gastritis in 51 (74%), mosaic appearance in 18 (88%), erosive gastritis in 14 (85%), nodular gastritis in 17 (94%), atrophic gastritis in 12 (75%), and fundal rugae hypertrophies in 5 (80%). We suggest that the antral nodularity, raised erosions, mosaic appearance and mixed findings, are the reliable indicators of the underlying HP induced gastritis. However, these endoscopic findings are very specific, though not sensitive, for HP gastritis.