Frequency of Helicobacter Pylori Infection Among Libyan Patients Referred For Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy at Al-Jamhoriya Teaching Hospital, Benghazi, Libya

Original article

English

Abdul-Nasser Elzouki 1; Intesar Al-Eish 1; All Altomi 2

1-Department Of Medicine, Al-Jamhoriya Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Garyounis University, Benghazi 2-Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alfateh University, Tripoli, Libya

Garyounis Medical Journal Vol. 22, No.1. 2005:27-31

Abstract

Background: Little information is known about the prevalence of H. pylori in Libya, and most published data were based on serological tests and had utilized a relatively small number of patients. Ojectives: The present study aimed to report the endoscopic findings of 127 cases at A1-Jamhoriya teaching Hospital. Benghazi over a period of one year. and to determine the frequency of H. pylori among those patients.
Settting: A1-Jamhoriya hospital. from Jan.-Dec. 2000.
Patients and Methods: One hundred and twenty seven Libyan patients referred for upper gastrointestina1 endoscopy were evaluated retrospectively. Five characteristics were obtained from the data: age, sex, main indication for endoscopy, endoscopic and pathological findings (including H.pylori status). The diagnosis of H. pylori infection was based on histological visualization of the bacteria.
Resu1ts: The mean age of males was 42.3±16.7 while that of females was 35.0± 14.1 years. H. pylori was diagnosed histologically in 57.5%. The frequency of H. pylori was. significantly increased with increasing age (p=0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of H. pylori between patients with endoscopic diagnosis of duodenal ulcer, gastroduodenitis, duodenal deformity gastric erosions, and those with normal endoscopic findings (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Conc1usions: similar to reports from other countries, H. pylori infection is common in Libyan peptic patients referred for upper gastointestinal endoscopy and is strongly associated with peptic ulcer disease,. gastric erosions and gastroduodenitis. Keywords: Helicohacter Pylori, Benghazi, duodenal ulcer, gastroduodenitis, duodenal deformity, gastriric erosions Link/DOI: