Non-Helicobacter pylori gastritis is common among paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 04/27/2012

Genta RM et al. – Helicobacter–negative gastritis and duodenitis occur significantly more often in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients than in non–IBD controls, as well as in adult IBD patients. Such upper gastrointestinal inflammation appears to be particularly common in patients with Crohn's disease.

• From a computerised database of surgical pathology reports, the authors selected 344 IBD patients and 4241 non-IBD controls between the age 0 and 21 years, who underwent colonoscopy and oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy with biopsy results from both procedures.

• Helicobacter-negative chronic active gastritis was found in 2% of controls and 20% of IBD patients (Crohn's disease (CD) 26%, ulcerative colitis (UC) 13%).
• Duodenitis was found in 2% of controls and 17% of IBD patients (Crohn's disease 28%, UC 8%).
• Similar prevalence rates were observed in male and female patients.
• The most striking age-specific patterns were seen in Crohn's disease, with chronic active gastritis being highest in the 5-9 years age-group and declining in all subsequent age-groups.
• The age-specific rise and fall of duodenitis appeared more protracted, reaching a peak at age 10-14 years and then gradually declining.