Esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori in children: incidence and therapeutic implications.

The relationship between gastric Helicobacter pylori colonization and esophagitis was determined in 457 children undergoing endoscopic evaluation of abdominal pain and/or vomiting. In all patients, biopsies of the esophagus were examined histologically, and two antral biopsies were analyzed for the presence of E. pylori, using standard microbiological and histochemical techniques. The incidence of biopsy-proven esophagitis was similar in H. pylori-positive (15/56 patients) and -negative (94/401; p=NS) groups. Clinical improvement, after 2 months of antisecretory therapy with H2-receptor antagonists, was independent of E. pylori status (11/15 vs. 68/94 responders; p=NS)