Unusual Manifestation of Gastric Helicobacter pylori Infection

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (HP) is common in many parts of the world. While most patients are asymptomatic, it causes peptic ulcer disease and malignancy in some of them. Other rare conditions have occasionally been reported in association with this infection. We report a case of hypertrophic gastropathy caused by HP in a 52-year-old asymptomatic patient. He was found to have marked enlargement of the gastric mucosal folds on radiological imaging and endoscopy. A gastric mucosal biopsy showed HP colonization associated with neutrophilic inflammation. After exclusion of neoplasia, other infections and infiltrative disorders, HP was thought to be the cause of the gastric fold hypertrophy. The patient responded well to HP eradication therapy, with normalization of the gastric mucosal folds. HP infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypertrophic gastropathy and treated accordingly.