Gastritis associated with Gastrospirillum hominis in children. Comparison with Helicobacter pylori and review of the literature.

Interest in possible microbiological causes of gastritis has significantly increased since the discovery of Helicobacter pylori. Recently a spiral bacterium named Gastrospirillum hominis was described in association with chronic gastritis in adult patients. Here, we present the finding of Gastrospirillum hominis in the gastric biopsies of two children who underwent upper endoscopy for gastrointestinal symptoms. The frequency of Gastrospirillum hominis (0.3%) in our pediatric population was similar to that reported in adults. We observed a chronic gastritis associated with the spiral bacteria which was milder than the gastritis noted in our pediatric patients with Helicobacter pylori infection. Further comparisons between these two organisms, as well as the literature on Gastrospirillum hominis, are also reviewed.