Optimizing diagnostic utility for diagnosis and management of Helicobacter pylori infections through combined microbiology and pathology approaches: a 7-year study.

Top clinical presentations in our patients with H pylori infections (n = 31, mean age 51 years) were abdominal pain (55%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (19%), and nausea/vomiting (10%), with most (84%) experiencing recurrent disease.

Concordant findings (n = 105 specimens) between microbiology and surgical pathology were noted in 96% of patients.

Microbiology testing provided a faster preliminary positive diagnosis by 3 days (P < .00001).

For both approaches, antrum biopsy specimens demonstrated a 100% recovery rate (odds ratio [OR], 5.4).