Background: Helicobacter Pylori (H.pylori) is one of the most important causes of dyspepsia and diagnosis can be made by invasive or non-invasive methods. Although endoscopy is recommended for the initial diagnosis of H. pylori infection, several non-invasive diagnostic tests such as the H. pylori stool antigen test (HpSA) are available and well validated even in children.
Aim and objectives: was to compare the accuracy of the noninvasive H. pylori Stool Antigen Test (SAT) applied on the stool samples with the invasive gold standard upper GIT endscope and biopsy of patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints.
Subjects and methods: This was prospective, observational and analytic study that was carried out on fifty children presented by upper gastrointestinal (GIT) symptoms including recurrent abdominal pain, hematemesis, dyspeptic epigasric pain, vomiting at pediatric gastroenterology endoscopy unit at Al-Hussein university hospital, during the period from February 2021 till June 2021
Result: we found that, Age ranged from 2-17 years with mean value 9.38±4.412 years. More than half of studied sample were male (64.0%). Also, our results showed that 17(34.0%) had Recurrent abdominal pain, 11(22.0%) had Hematemesis, 12(24.0%) had Dyspepsia, 20(40.0%) had Epigastric pain and 20(40.0%) had Vomiting. Stool H.pylori antigen of the studied group, H.pylori antigen were detected in 42 patients (84.0%). While using Upper GIT endoscope and biopsy finding it was found that H.pylori antigen were detected in 40 patients (80.0%).
Conclusion: our results revealed that the H.pylori was more prevalent in males with ages <10 years and the most prevalent symptoms are recurrent abdominal pain, hematemesis, dyspepsia, epigastric pain and vomiting. Both stool antigen test and upper git endoscope & biopsy finding give comparable results. There was highly significant correlation between both tests. As a non-invasive technique the stool antigen test is more preferred than other invasive techniques as upper G.I.T endoscope & biopsy.