Cause Of Dyspepsia Research Articles

Dyspepsia and Helicobacter Pylori Infection: Analysis of 200 Kuwaiti Patients Referred for Endoscopy

Dyspepsia is a very common symptom, and is the reason for most referrals for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux and gastric cancer account for a minority of such patients. However, the majority have no significant endoscopic abnormalities (non-ulcer dyspepsia). Recently, infection with Helicobacter pylori (HP) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PUD and gastric cancer. Since HP can be diagnosed by noninvasive techniques, it has been suggested that endoscopy should be restricted to HP-positive patients who do not respond to empirical therapy with antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of HP among Kuwaiti dyspeptic patients referred for endoscopy and to determine whether demographic and clinical screening, or the presence of HP, can help distinguish groups of patients with significant gastroduodenal pathology from those with non-ulcer dyspepsia. Two hundred randomly selected Kuwaiti patients referred for endoscopy were evaluated prospectively. A detailed personal interview was conducted to establish the demographic and clinical profile of each patient and a diagnostic EGD was performed after the interview. Finally, antral mucosal biopsies were taken to determine the presence of HP. The pre-coded data were analyzed. The main endoscopic findings were normal (32%), non-erosive antral gastritis (26%), duodenitis (17.5%), duodenal ulcer (11.5%), deformed bulb (4%), esophagitis (7%), and erosive gastritis (2%). The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients did not correlate with endoscopic findings. The overall prevalence of HP infection was 88.5%. There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of HP among patients with various endoscopic findings. HP infection is common in Kuwaiti dyspeptic patients referred for endoscopy, irrespective of their demographic and clinical features or the underlying cause of dyspepsia. Noninvasive methods to detect HP are not valid alternatives to endoscopy in the work-up of dyspeptic patients.

5 Organic causes of dyspepsia, and discriminating functional from organic dyspepsia

A wide variety of disorders affecting the upper gastrointestinal tract, as well as systemic disorders, are associated with symptoms of dyspepsia. The more important of these conditions are considered in this chapter, with particular reference to their symptom patterns on presentation. The differentiation, on clinical grounds, between these organic causes of dyspepsia and functional dyspepsia remains an important area of research. Those aspects of the history and physical examination most relevant to this distinction are also considered.

Dyspepsia: current understanding and management.

Dyspepsia, defined as "pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen" is reported by one in four adults in Western societies. The most important causes are non-ulcer (functional) dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux, and, rarely, gastric cancer. Persons with heartburn alone are not considered to have dyspepsia. The division of dyspepsia into symptom-based subgroups (ulcer-like, dysmotility-like, reflux-like, and unspecified dyspepsia) has proven to be of doubtful value for the clinician, as it has a low predictive value for identifying the causes of dyspepsia. Upper endoscopy remains the "gold standard" test; ultrasound and blood tests have a low yield. The role of Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease is well known, but the clinical role of the infection in non-ulcer dyspepsia remains very controversial. In uninvestigated dyspeptic patients who are H. pylori infected based on a non-invasive test, empiric anti-H. pylori therapy is a reasonable and probably cost-effective option. In documented non-ulcer dyspepsia, prokinetics are superior to placebo while antisecretory therapy is of less certain efficacy.

Diagnostic methods in dyspepsia: the usefulness of upper abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy

Objective-To examine the diagnostic value of gastroscopy and upper abdominal ultrasound, which are frequently used as primary tests in dyspeptic patients in general practice. To test the influence of age for accuracy of both diagnostic methods.Design-Clinical study.Setting-Four health centres in Kuopio Province, Finland. Subjects-Four hundred unselected consecutive dyspeptic patients (91 less than 45 years of age) who consulted their general practitioners.Main outcome measures-Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PV), efficiency and usefulness index (UI) were calculated for upper abdominal ultrasound and for gastroscopy in detecting the causes of dyspepsia in primary care. Final diagnosis was determined after one year follow-up.Results-The sensitivity of upper abdominal ultrasound in detecting the cause of dyspepsia was 0.07, the specificity 0.91, PV+ 036, PV-0.56, and UI-0.001. Ultrasound was not more efficient in older patients. Gastroscopy was the most efficient method with a sensitivity of 0.75, specificity 1.00, PV+ 0.99, PV-0.83 and UI 0.56. The usefulness of gastroscopy was even better among patients over 45 years of age.Conclusions-The usefulness of upper abdominal ultrasound is low regardless of patient's age. Gastroscopy is superior to upper abdominal ultrasound as a first line diagnostic method in diagnosing dyspepsia, especially among patients over 45 years of age.

A Suggested Approach to Patients with Dyspepsia

A comprehensive review of dyspepsia is presented. Topics include causes of dyspepsia, prevalence, causes of symptoms (motility abnormalities, visceral hypersensitivity, psychosocial aspects, role of Helicobacter pylori), investigations of patients with dyspepsia and, finally, whether there is effective treatment.

Helicobacter pyloriInfection and Dyspepsia

It has proved remarkably difficult to confirm or refute an association between Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis and non-ulcer dyspepsia for several reasons. Dyspepsia has not been defined adequately and current definitions include a variety of symptoms that probably reflect a number of underlying pathophysiological processes. Dyspepsia is a symptom complex, rather than a specific disease entity, and cannot be easily identified. There are probably many causes of dyspepsia, and if H. pylori does cause symptoms, it may produce different symptoms in different people. However, little is known about variations in host susceptibility and H. pylori virulence, or their potential effect on symptomatology. In addition, the mechanisms responsible for dyspeptic symptoms are unknown, regardless of whether or not there is concomitant H. pylori-induced inflammation. A possible aetiological role for H. pylori in dyspepsia has been sought in three major types of study. Epidemiology studies have suggested that H. pylori is not a major cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia. However, both dyspepsia and H. pylori are common, and the studies cannot account for many of the variables detailed above. Pathophysiological studies have commonly reported a variety of motor and sensory 'abnormalities' in association with H. pylori, but none has been confirmed or reproduced. In eradication studies, there is continuing debate as to whether dyspeptic symptoms diminish with treatment. This is partly because of the high placebo-response rate and partly because many treatment regimens have not cured the infection. Suppression of bacterial growth may not affect symptoms significantly, if they are due to mucosal inflammation, and symptom resolution may take many weeks or months following cure of H. pylori and the associated gastritis. Recent findings have shown that symptom reduction is more evident 1 year after eradication of H. pylori than after 4 weeks. There is a continuing and urgent need for well-designed studies to assess the long-term effect of H. pylori and its cure on both gastrointestinal function and dyspeptic symptoms.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyspepsia in the Elderly

Although dyspeptic symptoms are very common, the vast majority of patients have modest symptoms and rarely seek medical advice. The major organic causes of dyspepsia are chronic peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and malignancy. Functional dyspepsia is very common. In the fit elderly patient, prompt investigation may be more appropriate than empirical treatment in view of the higher proportion of patients with organic disease and the likelihood of malignancy. The symptoms of peptic ulceration and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are often atypical in the elderly population. Frail patients, especially those with multiple pathology, should be treated empirically in the first instance. Empirical treatment should be with histamine H2-receptor antagonists or prokinetic agents. Drug treatment is not always required in dyspepsia and should be avoided where possible, especially given the increased risk of drug interactions and poor compliance in the elderly. For those patients with documented non-malignant organic disease, the advent of the H2-receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors, prokinetic drugs and regimens which eradicate Helicobacter pylori means that treatment is almost always successful.

Etiology of dyspepsia: four hundred unselected consecutive patients in general practice.

Four hundred consecutive unselected patients with dyspepsia in health care centers were investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of various causes of dyspepsia in primary care and to evaluate the usefulness of the latest definition of functional dyspepsia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, upper abdominal ultrasound, a test for lactose intolerance, and basic laboratory screening were performed in every patient. Esophagitis was the cause of symptoms in 15%, symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux without esophagitis in 12%, duodenal ulcer in 9%, gastric ulcer in 4%, erosive duodenitis in 2%, lactose intolerance in 9%, gallstone disease in 2%, and malignancy in 2%. Other more infrequent causes of dyspepsia were giardiasis, celiac disease, erosive gastritis, and chronic pancreatitis. One hundred and thirty-five patients had functional dyspepsia with subgroups of ulcer-like (22%), dysmotility-like (28%), and nonspecific (50%). Irritable bowel syndrome was diagnosed in 37 patients (9%). The cause of dyspepsia was organic in 45%. Functional disorders, when symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux was included, were diagnosed in 55%. The latest classification of functional dyspepsia is not in accordance with the symptom complex.

Gastric emptying in patients with gallstone disease with or without dyspepsia: effect of cholecystectomy.

Dyspepsia is a common complaint in patients presenting with gallstone disease. Since the stomach appears to be its site of origin, the present study was undertaken to assess gastric emptying in patients with gallstone disease and to find out its correlation with dyspeptic symptoms before and after cholecystectomy. Gastric emptying (t1/2) was prospectively assessed in 43 patients with symptomatic gallstones (29 with and 14 without dyspepsia). These data were compared with that of 20 healthy volunteers (control group). Delayed gastric emptying (> 112 min: mean + 2 s.d. of the control group) was observed in 18 patients (42%; P < 0.002), 10 of whom presented with dyspepsia and eight without (NS). Re-evaluation in 18 of the 29 patients with dyspepsia, 3 months after cholecystectomy, revealed complete disappearance of symptoms in three, improvement in 11 and no change in four patients. After 6 months, two patients had reverted back to their pre-operative dyspeptic status; resulting in three patients completely cured, nine partially cured and six without any change in their dyspeptic status at this time. Gastric emptying was delayed in nine of the 18 patients before cholecystectomy. After cholecystectomy, normal emptying was observed in all but one patient (P < 0.005). Dyspeptic symptoms, however, completely disappeared in one patient, improved in five and remained unchanged in three. In the remaining nine patients, gastric emptying was normal both before and after cholecystectomy. Gallstone disease is associated with delayed gastric emptying but this delay was not the cause of dyspepsia in these patients. Cholecystectomy normalizes gastric emptying, a finding that has not been reported previously.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

What is behind dyspepsia?

The first aim of the present study was to determine the cause of dyspepsia after negative conventional diagnostic work-up. In such patients, an extended diagnostic work-up was performed including esophageal pH monitoring and manometry, gastric and hepatobiliary scintigraphy, and lactose tolerance test. In 88 of 220 dyspeptic patients (mean age 49 years, range 17-87; 114 women) presenting to our gastroenterological outpatient department, a cause for dyspepsia was found by conventional work-up. Thirty-one of the remaining patients did not enter extended work-up because of minor symptoms. In 47 of 101 patients entering extended work-up, a diagnosis was established (21 endoscopy-negative gastroesophageal reflux disease, 11 gastric stasis, 6 biliary dyskinesia, and 5 lactase deficiency among them). A second aim of the study was to determine whether clusters of symptoms such as "gastroesophageal reflux-like," "dysmotility-like," and "dyspepsia of unknown origin" reliably predict the groups of diseases suggested by these terms. This was not the case. In conclusion, in 40% of dyspeptic patients, a conventional diagnostic work-up led to a diagnosis that explained a patient's symptoms. After a negative conventional diagnostic work-up, an extended diagnostic work-up with functional tests yielded a possible explanation for their symptoms in 47% of patients. In such patients symptomatology was of little help for predicting the diagnosis.

Fluoride as a possible aetiological factor in non-ulcer dyspepsia.

A prospective case controlled study was conducted to evaluate the role of fluoride as a possible aetiological factor for non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). Twenty patients with NUD and 10 age and sex matched healthy controls were subjected to clinical evaluation, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsies from the gastric antrum and duodenum. The antral and duodenal mucosa was subjected to a rapid urease test for Helicobacter pylori and histological and electron microscopic examinations. Fluoride levels in the drinking water, serum and urine were estimated using a ION 85 ion-analyser. These levels were significantly higher in patients with NUD than in controls (P less than 0.05). Histological abnormalities in the antral and duodenal mucosa were seen in 14 patients (70%) with NUD and 1 control subject (10%) (P less than 0.05). Electron microscopic abnormalities in the mucosal cells were seen in all patients with NUD but in none of the controls (P less than 0.01). The fluoride levels in serum and urine correlated with the symptoms, histological and electron microscopic abnormalities (P less than 0.05). It was concluded that chronic exposure to fluoride may result in NUD and should be considered in patients where other known cause of dyspepsia have been excluded.

Is Helicobacter pylori the cause of dyspepsia?

To determine the association between infection with Helicobacter pylori and dyspepsia. Cross sectional study of dyspeptic subjects and age and sex matched controls identified by a questionnaire survey of all inhabitants aged 20-69. (Endoscopy, histological examination, and microbiological examinations of biopsies from the gastric mucosa were performed blind.) Population based survey in Sørreisa, Norway. All 782 dyspeptic subjects (excluding those with a previous history of peptic ulcer, gall stones or kidney stones, and coronary heart disease) and controls were offered an endoscopy, of whom 309 dyspeptic subjects and 310 controls attended. Prevalences of endoscopic and histological diagnoses and of cultures positive for H pylori. A high prevalence of positive cultures, increasing with age, was found in both dyspeptic subjects (48%) and non-dyspeptic controls (36%) (p = 0.004). Positive cultures in both dyspeptic subjects and controls were strongly associated with histological gastritis (70%, 95% confidence interval 65.5 to 85.3; 60%, 52.7 to 67.7, respectively) and peptic ulcer (92%, 61.5 to 99.8; 64.1, 9.4 to 99.2, respectively). Only 3% of subjects with a histologically non-inflamed gastric mucosa had this infection (dyspeptic subjects 2%, 0.2 to 7.0; controls 4%; 1.2 to 8.8). The relation between dyspeptic symptoms and H pylori is dubious; H pylori seems to have a pathogenetic role in gastritis and may be a contributing factor but not a cause of peptic ulcer.

Dyspepsia: Organic Causes and Differential Characteristics from Functional Dyspepsia

Diseases presenting with dyspepsia fall into two general categories: organic and functional. Overall, most patients with dyspepsia have no underlying identifiable disease process. The diagnostic yield of organic causes is less in younger patients, and, conversely, serious organic lesions are common in elderly dyspeptic patients. The commonest organic causes of dyspepsia are peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux, biliary tract disease, and gastric cancer. Symptoms and physical signs may help to differentiate these organic causes from functional dyspepsia but endoscopic or radiographic/ultrasound studies are usually necessary to ensure the appropriate diagnosis. Less common organic causes of dyspepsia not to be overlooked include drugs, pancreatitis, malabsorption syndromes, metabolic disorders, ischemic heart disease, and collagen vascular disorders.

Patterns of dyspepsia in patients with no clinical evidence of organic diseases

We studied 2000 dyspeptic patients with no obvious signs of organic disease at their first examination, in order to (1) verify how many diagnoses of idiopathic dyspepsia had really been made after exhaustive diagnostic procedures and (2) evaluate the diagnostic power of the symptoms in distinguishing organic from idiopathic dyspepsia. This latter was considered only when no structural abnormalities were found. In all the other cases, a distinction was made between "related" and "associated" organic dyspepsia according to whether or not there was a certain relationship between the abnormalities and the dyspeptic symptoms. The patients were referred to us as follows: (1) spontaneously, (2) sent by physicians collaborating with us, (3) referred to our open access endoscopic service. The results show the frequency of idiopathic dyspepsia was 26%, whereas associated structural abnormalities were present in 45.4%. Obvious organic causes of dyspepsia were seen in 28.6% (24% benign and 4.6% malignant diseases). When considered separately, no symptom alone allows a correct diagnosis. The simultaneous evaluation of the symptoms with linear discriminant analysis distinguishes between idiopathic and organic dyspeptic patients in about 70% of the cases. A higher discrimination percentage in about 70% of the cases. A higher discrimination percentage could probably be obtained using a wider range of clinical parameters and/or a more complex statistical analysis of the interrelationships which exist between the clinical symptoms and the final diagnosis.

Epigastric distress syndrome.

The term 'non-ulcer dyspepsia' lacks a generally accepted definition. A broad spectrum of symptoms could be included under this heading. Therefore, a subclassification with strict and reproducible lines of demarcation is needed. The aim of a recently concluded study was to delineate the category of patients who suffer from chronic or recurrent epigastric pain without symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and without any anatomical correlates. In order to emphasize the distinction between the studied condition and the less well-defined diagnosis of non-ulcer-dyspepsia we have proposed an alternative designation, "Epigastric Distress Syndrome". The admixture of initially overlooked organic diseases seems to be almost negligible when strict criteria are used for the diagnosis. Gastric acid is probably not involved in the etiology but psychological factors seem to be crucial for the development of this condition. When specifically asked, about every third person report abdominal symptoms. Their complaints are commonly referred to as dyspepsia, but the term lacks a generally accepted definition. In practice, every possible symptom arising from the gastrointestinal tract except jaundice and bleeding could be gathered under this heading. A large number of organic diseases are conceivable causes of dyspepsia, but conditions with presumed functional etiology dominate, at least in outpatient care. In fact, the clinical diagnosis of 'gastritis', which is used to describe upper abdominal complaints without any apparent organic causes, accounts for 2% of all outpatient consultations in Sweden, and it is by far the most commonly used gastroenterological diagnosis in this country.

Diagnostic decision-making in the irritable bowel syndrome.

Diagnostic classification problems and work towards a positive diagnosis of the irritable bowel syndrome are reviewed. The absence of a biochemical or morphological marker for this syndrome has led several authors to apply multivariate statistical models in the search for a combination of symptoms that could help in distinguishing the irritable bowel syndrome from other causes of dyspepsia. Despite some limited success in experimental studies the clinical value of porported combinations remains to be proved. Diagnosis of the irritable bowel still rests upon the recognition of key symptoms, rules of thumb, and the exclusion of organic disease.

Exocrine pancreatic function in dyspepsia.

The prevalence of pancreatic diseases as the cause for dyspepsia differs in clinical materials between 0 and 25-30%. In parallel, the incidence rate of chronic pancreatitis varies between 0.7 and 10 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The correct figures are unsettled. The main reason for the great variability in figures for frequency of chronic pancreatitis is probably the different clinical awareness and variable practice for performing morphological and functional studies of the pancreas in patients with dyspepsia. Epidemiologic data indicate, but do not prove, an increasing frequency of chronic pancreatitis at least valid for the alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatic function and pancreatic disease are probably connected to different gastro-intestinal diseases (duodenal ulcer, inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption syndromes, subtotal and total gastrectomy and to some extent in patients with hepatobiliary diseases). The prevalence of chronic pancreatitis can be calculated to around 70 per 100,000 inhabitants in the Western world. Around one-third of these present with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. The demand for enzyme substitution based on marked exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in patients with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and mucoviscidosis can be calculated to approximately 150 patients per 1 million inhabitants. The question concerning the analgetic effect of pancreatic enzyme substitution is still unsettled.

Esophageal disorders in the etiology and pathophysiology of dyspepsia.

Dyspepsia may be caused by reflux esophagitis. We evaluated the symptoms of 45 patients aged 52 +/- 14 years who had a follow-up of 1 to 5 years. Endoscopy and histology demonstrated microscopic inflammation in 14, isolated mucosal defects in 12 and severe inflammation in 19 of the 45 patients. Belching was the leading symptom in patients with microscopic and severe esophagitis, heartburn in mild esophagitis. Upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting were present in 31%, 24% and 22% of the patients, respectively. Thus, reflux esophagitis is frequently accompanied by symptoms of dyspepsia which resemble those of other causes of dyspepsia. In contrast, disorders of gastric and intestinal motility may be associated with esophageal motor disturbances, particularly in gastric dysrhythmia, diabetic gastroenteropathy, irritable bowel syndrome, and idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. How much the esophagus contributes to the clinical symptomatology of dyspepsia awaits further elucidation.

A SYMPTOMATIC DISCRIMINANT TO IDENTIFY RECURRENT ULCER IN PATIENTS WITH DYSPEPSIA AFTER GASTRIC SURGERY

A questionnaire has been completed by 99 patients referred for investigation of symptoms after gastric operations. The replies were analysed in an attempt to distinguish patients with a recurrent peptic ulcer from those with no recurrent ulcer. All cases were investigated by barium meal, endoscopy, and oral cholecystography. All recurrent ulcers were confirmed by reoperation and patients with gastric carcinoma, gallstones, or symptomatic hiatus hernia were excluded. The study was retrospective in 40 patients in whom the diagnosis was already confirmed when the questionnaire was analysed and prospective in 59 in whom the diagnosis was originally unknown. The replies were analysed with (a) a small computer using Bayes' theorem, (b) weighted tables, and (c) a discriminant analysis. The computer prediction of the prospective data was 85% accurate. The results of simpler methods were almost as good as the computer prediction, and questions related only to the severity of pain and vomiting accurately distinguished recurrent ulcer from other causes of dyspepsia in 81% of patients.

Pancreatic heterotopia as a cause of dyspepsia.

Four cases of pancreatic heterotopia are reported. It is considered that this pathology may cause severe, persistent dyspepsia and may escape detection at laparotomy unless the stomach is opened.