title: [Helicobacter pylori in children in Hospital Nacional de Niños, San José de Costa Rica].
abstract: Infection with Helicobacter pylori is more prevalent in developing than in developed countries. Several publications from Costa Rica associate this agent with almost 70% of the adults suffering gastritis; however, there are not data about its prevalence in children. In order to address that gap in the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in Costa Rica, we study 264 children (3 months to 17 years old) remitted to upper endoscopy due to dyspeptic disorders. From each case at least two biopsies were taken; one for Helicobacter isolation and the others for histopathological study. 96 of the children showed any grade of gastritis and in 73 of them was identified H. pylori; also, this agent was associated with 11 of the children without alteration in their gastric mucosa. In total, H. pylori was identified in the 31.8% of the studied cases. The two younger patients infected were a 1 and 2 years-old boys; the former had normal mucosa and the other had gastritis. These data confirm the importance of investigate Helicobacter in young children with gastric discomfort, mainly in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Patología, Hospital Nacional de Niños, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carranza
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernández-Chavarría
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005773:Gastroscopy; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015995:Prevalence