[Chronic gastritis in Helicobacter heilmannii infection].

BACKGROUND: The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa used to be associated with gastritis and peptic ulcer. Helicobacter heilmannii is a similar but much less frequent and less known gastric pathogen. METHODS AND RESULTS: We evaluated 1250 gastric biopsies. Helicobacteria were detected after silver impregnation. Helicobacter pylori was found in 62%. In 3 cases (0.24%), we found Helicobacter heilmannii. In one of the cases, also Helicobacter pylori was present. All patients had gastrointestinal symptoms and histological chronic active gastritis. CONCLUSIONS: Helicobacter heilmannii is an uncommon pathogen which appears to be a cause of gastric inflammation. It can be differentiated from Helicobacter pylori by routine histology examination.