Long-Term Follow-up of Children with Helicobacter pylori-Associated Nonulcer Dyspepsia After Eradication of the Infection

Helicobacter pylori infection has been described in children with peptic ulcer disease and chronic type B gastritis. In all reported pediatric series the most frequent symptom associated with the infection was recurrent epigastric or abdominal pain. Combination of amoxycilhn with colloidal bismuth subcitrate [2] or with tinidazole [4] eradicated the infection and improved symptoms and gastritis in approximately 70% of infected children. Follow-up of these patients was generally limited to a few months after discontinuation of therapy. To study the outcome of the disease after successful treatment we prospectively followed- up children and adolescents with H. pylori-associated nonulcer dyspepsia for a mean period of 3 years after eradication of the infection.