Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Gastritis among Patients with Symptomatic Cholelithiasis

Background: H. Pylori gastritis is considered to be the causative factor for gallstone disease. Though this infection is reported to be the leading factor contributing to the pathogenesis of gastro-duodenal ulcers, and gastric cancer. Its infestation of the gallbladder and causing chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis are still debatable.

Methodology: This study was descriptive cross-sectional in nature, performed on 110 patients (chosen via non-probability, consecutive sampling), presented at Surgical OPD with symptomatic cholelithiasis. All the participants underwend for diagnostic endoscopy and a biopsy was taken for confirmation of h.Pylori gastritis. Those who had positive H. Pylori test, were treated by eradication therapy first and then submitted for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy and those who were negative submitted for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study lasted 1 year from February 2021 to February 2022.

Results: Among the subjects, 72.7% (n=80) were female, 32.5% were under 40 years old while male gender composed of 17.3% of the sample population. 3/4th of the population hailed from the rural setting. 70.1% (n=78) of the patients had positive H. Pylori test on histopathology.

Upon the findings of diagnostic endoscopy, severe and moderate gastritis was found to be in 25.6% and 74.4% of the participants with positive helicobector gastritis, respectively. A significant association was found out between familial history of gall stones and helicobector pylori gastritis (p=0.02).

Conclusion: A high prevalence of H. Pylori infection is among patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis, which also crossponds to the endoscopic findings. The association between the familial history of gall stones and helicobetor gastritis merits to be explore further to establish the casuality of the relationship.