The Role of the Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Ulcer Development and Treatment

The treatment of peptic ulcer disease has changed dramatically since Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis was identified as a significant contributing factor. One course of antimicrobial therapy that eradicates the H. pylori infection is more effective than ongoing suppression of acid secretion in preventing ulcer recurrence. It is widely recognized that Helicobacter pylori is the cause of chronic active type B gastritis and is likely the most prevalent bacterial infection in the world. While some people develop either a duodenal or gastric ulcer, many patients live with persistent superficial gastritis. A relatively little percentage of the lymphoid. In certain cases, the data indicates that chronic superficial gastritis advances to atrophy, the loss of gastric acid secretory capacity, and the formation of gastric cancer. In other cases, the reaction to H. pylori infection seems to progress to become a mucosal associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is most caused by Helicobacter pylori infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use. When there is a low risk of stomach cancer due to age under 55 and the lack of alarm symptoms, the test-and-treat approach for H. pylori detection is recommended.