Effect of subclinical Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric wall thickness: multislice CT evaluation

To evaluate the effect of subclinical Helicobacter pylori infection on the gastric wall thickness with multislice computed tomography (MSCT).

In 99 subjects without gastric disease, CT scans of the abdomen were obtained after water ingestion and intravenous contrast administration. CT images were evaluated for degree of luminal distention and the thickness of the walls of the gastric antrum and body. We also looked for other radiological signs of gastritis such as the presence of fold thickening, mucosal enhancement, submucosal hypodensity, focal gastric mass-like lesion, and focal wall thickening. All subjects were tested with rapid urease test or stool antigen test and grouped as H. pylori positive or negative according to the results.

The average gastric body and antrum wall thicknesses did not show statistically significant difference between H. pylori positive and negative groups. The average antral wall thickness was greater than the gastric body wall thickness in 68.5% of cases, independent of H. pylori positivity; and antral wall thickness was more than 5 mm in more than 50% of cases. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of other signs of gastritis.

Wall thickening of gastric antrum relative to gastric body is a common finding even in the use of MSCT, and antral thickness commonly exceeds 5 mm. Subclinical H. pylori infection has no effect on gastric wall thickness.