Gastroscopy in immigrants of Turkish descent.

Background And Aim: Little data is known on morbidity and Helicobacter pylori in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract in male and female patients of Turkish descent. A study was done in order to assess the presence of H. pylori in Turkish men and women in relation to the diagnostic yield of the endoscopy.

Methods: All consecutive patients of Turkish descent were included in the present study. Detection of H. pylori was done with hematoxylin-eosin stain, an immunoperoxidase and Gram stain and culture.

Results: In 16 years, 2427 procedures (10.4%) were done in Turkish patients. After exclusions, 842 endoscopies in Turkish women and 827 procedures in Turkish men remained. Peptic ulcer disease was diagnosed in 101 (6%) patients and reflux esophagitis in 97 patients (5.8%). Seven patients had cancer. In 749 patients (64%), no macroscopic abnormalities were seen. Turkish men suffered more often from reflux esophagitis (81% vs 19%, P < 0.0001), hiatus hernia (58% vs 42%, P < 0.0001) and peptic ulcer disease (74% vs 26%, P < 0.0001). Women more often showed no abnormalities (P < 0.0001). There was no change in the yearly prevalence of reflux esophagitis and peptic ulcer disease in women, while the peptic ulcers decreased, and reflux esophagitis increased in men. Men were significantly more often H. pylori-positive (P = 0.03). There was a clear trend towards a decrease in H. pylori-positives.

Conclusion: There are differences in the presence of ulcer disease and reflux esophagitis between Turkish men and women. Men are significantly more often H. pylori-positive. Prevalence of H. pylori infection in Turkish patients slowly decreases in the consecutive years in both men and women.