Diagnosis of <i>Helicobacter pylori </i>Infection

Review

The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research 2008;8(2):65-70.
Published online December 10, 2008.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori Infection

Helicobacter pylori 감염의 진단

지삼룡ㆍ설상영

인제대학교 의과대학 부산백병원 내과학교실

Abstract

The diagnostic methods of H. pylori infection may be classified as invasive, i.e., requiring an endoscopy, and non-invasive tests. Histology and culture still play an important part in the diagnosis of H. pylori. Culture provides information about pathogen characteristics and susceptibility to antibiotics. Owing to a high prevalence of gastric cancer and low cost of endoscopy, rapid urease test and histology are widely used in Korea before eradication therapy. The urea breath test is the most reliable nonendoscopic test to document eradication of H. pylori infection. Stool antigen tests have been evaluated in pre- and post-treatment settings. The serological tests are not all equivalent and different tests are applied in different situations. The detection of H. pylori antibodies in urine and saliva has no current role in patient management. There is no single test that can be considered the gold standard for detecting H. pylori. The most appropriate test for any specific situation will be influenced by the clinical circumstances, the availability and costs of the individual diagnostic tests. (The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research 2008;8:65-70)

Key Words: Helicobacter pylori, Diagnosis, Invasive test, Non-invasive test, Stool antigen test