Mucosal polymerase chain reaction for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers

AIM: Helicobacter pylori(Hpylori) has been linked to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, gastric cancer and MALT-lymphoma.Conventional invasive tests are less sensitive than noninvasive tests in diagnosing H pylori infection in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. Polymerase chain reaction is a sensitive and accurate method for diagnosing H pylori infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic role of mucosal polymerase chain reaction for H pylori infection in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.METHODS: In patients with bleeding, non-bleeding peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis, we checked rapid urease test,histology, bacterial culture and mucosal polymerase chain reaction for detecting H pylori infection. Positive H pylori infection was defined as positive culture or both a positive histology and a positive rapid urease test. For mucosal polymerase chain reaction of Hpylori, we checked vacA (s1a, s1b, s1c, s2, m1, m1T, m2),iceA1,iceA2 and cag A.RESULTS: Between October 2000 and April 2002, 88 patients with bleeding peptic ulcers (males/females: 60/28, gastric ulcers/duodenal ulcers: 55/33), 81 patients with non-bleeding peptic ulcers (males/females: 54/27, gastric ulcers/duodenal ulcers: 45/36) and 37 patients with chronic gastritis (males/females: 24/13) were enrolled in this study. In patients with bleeding peptic ulcers, non-bleeding peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis, 45 patients (51%), 71 patients (88%)and 20 patients (54%) respectively were found to have positive H pylori infection (P＜0.001). In patients with bleeding peptic ulcers, non-bleeding peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis, polymerase chain reaction for H pylori infection was positive in 54 patients (61%), 70 patients (86%) and 20 patients (54%) respectively (P＜0.001). The sensitivity,positive predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of mucosal polymerase reaction for Hpylori infection were significantly lower in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers (84%, 79%and 81%) than in patients with non-bleeding peptic ulcers (99%, 99% and 98%) (P＜0.001, P＜0.01 and P＜0.001respectively). The sensitivity, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of mucosal polymerase reaction for H pylori were significantly lower in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers (84%, 83% and 81%) than in patients with chronic gastritis (100%, 100% and 100%) (P= 0.02, P= 0.02and P = 0.001).CONCLUSION: Mucosal polymerase chain reaction for detecting H pylori infection is not reliable in patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.

Surgical resection of duodenal lymphangiectasia: A case report

Intestinal lymphangiectasia, characterized by dilatation of intestinal lacteals, is rare. The major treatment for primary intestinal lymphangiectasia is dietary modification. Surgery to relieve symptoms and to clarify the etiology should be considered when medical treatment failed. This article reports a 49-year-old woman of solitary duodenal lymphangiectasia, who presented with epigastralgia and anemia. Her symptoms persisted with medical treatment.Surgery was finally performed to relieve the symptoms and to exclude the existence of underlying etiologies, with satisfactory effect. In conclusion, duodenal lymphangiectasia can present clinically as epigastralgia and chronic blood loss. Surgical resection may be resorted to relieve pain,control bleeding, and exclude underlying diseases in some patients.