Helicobacter pylori and dyspepsia in an Arab population.

To determine the incidence and significance of the detection of Helicobacter pylori in an Arab population, 116 patients with dyspepsia were studied. 89 percent of these patients had H. pylori detected by culture or/and histological definition of Campylobacter-like organisms. By the modified rapid urease test (RUT) 80% of the patients had H. pylori (sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 75%). Irrespective of the endoscopic diagnosis, the presence of H. pylori was associated with histologic evidence of gastritis. A heavy growth of H. pylori on culture was associated with active gastritis. There was no difference in the incidence rates of H. pylori with regard to various diagnoses by endoscopy. It is suggested that H. pylori may be hyperendemic among Arab patients with dyspepsia. Its presence is associated with varying severity of gastritis with or without additional endoscopically recognised findings.