Therapeutic effects of eradicating Helicobacter pylori on gastric hyperplastic polyps

Objective To study the therapeutic effects of eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) on the gastric hyperplastic polyps. Methods Forty-eight patients with H. pylori infection and gastric hyperplastic polyps (3-10 mm in diameter) were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n=24) receiving a quadruple therapy of proton-pump inhibitor (omeprazole or lansoprazole), clarithromycin, bismuth citrate and tinidazole, or to a control group (n=24) which receiving tepretone (a gastric mucosa protective agent). Patients underwent endoscopy and H.pylori examination regularly before enrollment and 1 to 12 months after the end of treatment. Results Twenty-two patients in the treatment group and 21 in controls completed the entire trial. In the treatment group, H. pylori was eradicated in 19 of 22 patients (86.4%) and the polyps had disappeared in 15 of all 19 patients (78.9%) during 1 to 12 months follow-up period, average (6.5±1.1)months, after the end of treatment. However, no change was seen in the polyps and H. pylori status in the controls during same period (P0.01). Conclusions Most of gastric hyperplastic polyps disappeared after the eradication of H. pylori. Thus, before endoscopic removal of polyps in patients with H.pylori infection, the eradication of H.pylori might be tried.