Endoscopic Findings And The Frequency Of Helicobacter Pylori Among Dyspeptic Patients In Maiduguri, North-Eastern Nigeria

Aim: To determine the types of upper gastrointestinal lesions and the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infection among dyspeptic patients in Maiduguri. Methods: Three hundred and thirty (330) dyspeptic patients undergoing endoscopy at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital were prospectively studied. Gastric antral biopsy specimens obtained through endoscopic biopsy forceps were stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Modified Giemsa staining was employed to demonstrate the presence Helicobacter pylori. Results: One hundred and seventy one (51.8%) of the patients were males and 159 (48.2%) were females. Their ages ranged from 14 to 80 years with a mean of 38.7, the age group with highest frequency being 40 to 49 years. A total of 259 (78.5%) of the patients were positive for H. pylori. Two hundred and seventy one (82.1%) had endoscopically identifiable lesions. The most common lesion was oesophagitis which was seen in 67.0% of the patients followed by gastritis (60.0%) and duodenitis (27.9%). Gastric ulcer was recorded in 6.4 % of the patients while 4.8% and 1.7% had duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer respectively. The frequency of H. pylori among patients with gastritis was 89.1% while it was 83.3%, 100% and 61.9 % among patients with duodenitis, duodenal ulcer and gastric ulcer respectively, and 33.3% among those with gastric cancer. Conclusion: There is high frequency of H. pylori infection among dyspeptic patients in Maiduguri. The predominant endoscopic findings were oesophagitis, gastritis and duodenitis. Keywords: Helicobacter pylori, dyspepsia, endoscopy, frequencyHighland Medical Research Journal Vol. 5 (1) 2007 pp. 78-81