Embargoed for Release Until: Sunday, November 2, 1997, 6:00 p.m. Contact: Marie Kendra Tehonica (202) 973-1361
Presence of Helicobacter pylori in the Stomach Does Not Appear to Portend Risk of Significant Damage to the Esophagus
November 2, 1997, Chicago, IL -- Patients who tested positive for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori were unlikely to present pathological changes to the esophagus indicating severe complications according to a study from the Mayo Clinic Jacksonville reported to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.
Research conducted by Kenneth R. DeVault, MD, FACG and David S. Loeb, MD examined the prevalence of esophageal pathology in patients infected with H. pylori referred for endoscopy, an examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract with a small, lighted fiber optic device.
In recent years, physicians have recognized that most ulcer disease of the stomach and duodenum arises in the presence of a bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori. Current ulcer therapy generally consists of a regimen of one or more antibiotics in conjunction with a medication that inhibits acid. Drug therapy for H. pylori without an endoscopic examination has been suggested as cost effective management in several patient groups. By reviewing endoscopic indications, findings, and post-endoscopy treatment plans, researchers sought to identify potential serious complications among H. pylori infected patients which potentially could have been missed had these patients not been examined endoscopically. The Mayo Clinic study attempted to determine whether the presence of H. pylori in the stomach might be associated with serious damage in the esophagus.
A minority of H. pylori positive patients in the Mayo Jacksonville study had an esophageal abnormality on endoscopy (21 of 99 patients), and those few (7 of 99) with more serious findings had other indications that would have suggested a cause for esophageal damage regardless of their H. pylori status. Drs. DeVault and Loeb concluded that, among the patients they studied, esophageal pathology was uncommon, usually mild and predicted by the patient's symptoms.
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The ACG was formed in 1932 to advance the scientific study and medical treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The College promotes the highest standards in medical education and is guided by its commitment to meeting the needs of clinical gastroenterology practitioners.
Consumers can get more information on GI diseases through the following ACG-sponsored programs:
* 1-800-978-7666 (free brochures on common GI disorders, including ulcers, colon cancer, gallstones and liver disease)
* 1-800-HRT-BURN (free brochure and video on heartburn and GERD)
* www.acg.gi.org (ACG's web site)
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