Clinical Significance of Widespread Gastric Metaplasia in the Duodenal Bulb

Abstract

All the risk factors of peptic ulcer disease are not thoroughly understood. To assess duodenal gastric metaplasia (DGM) in relation to Helicobacter pylori status and endoscopy findings with special reference to the effects of highly selective vagotomy. The study population consisted of 1056 adult patients and an additional 154 patients who had had a highly selective vagotomy. Their clinical and endoscopy records as well as the histology of gastric and duodenal biopsies were evaluated retrospectively. H. pylori infection had been determined by serology and culture. Widespread (more than 20%) DGM was strongly associated with H. pylori positive duodenal ulcer disease (in 59.7% of patients). The prevalence of DGM diminished progressively the more proximally the ulcer was located in the stomach, and was 2.5% in proximal gastric ulcers patients. In vagotomized patients, the prevalence of widespread DGM (8.4% of patients, median 14 years after operation and the majority still H. pylori positive) was close to that of patients with H. pylori gastritis without peptic ulcer disease (4.5%). Widespread DGM is an indicator for an increased risk of duodenal ulcer among H. pylori positive patients and it could be used to select patients for eradication therapy.