[Histologic study of Helicobacter pylori in 265 consecutive gastric biopsies].

We evaluated 265 consecutive endoscopic gastric biopsies of subjects attending the gastric cancer mass survey that is taken place in the State of Tachira, Venezuela. They were 152 males and 113 females between 18 and 70 years of age. We established the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in relation with histologic diagnosis and location of the lesions in the stomach. We performed hematoxylin eosin, Giemsa and Gimenez stains. The bacteria was identified in chronic non atrophic gastritis in 81% of the cases, in 76% of erosive gastritis, in 72% of gastric ulcers, in 36% of chronic atrophic gastritis and in 16% of neoplastic tissues. Helicobacter pylori was found in 82% of antral biopsies, and in 9% of the body, 7% of the fundus and 2% of the cardiac biopsies. From the total of 265 biopsies HP was positive in 172. The prevalence of this bacteria was 69.9% in this investigation.