[Therapeutic relevance of the classification of gastritis]

The histological gastritis classification according to the Sydney system is a standardisation of different classification systems used so far. It is based on the principles of etiology, topography and course of the disease, as well as morphological changes of the gastric mucosa in gastritis. Histological examination represents the practical gold standard of Helicobacter pylori detection and can be used on routinely formaldehyde-fixed biopsy material and hematoxylin-eosin stained slides. Histology is therefore also of practical diagnostic value for the control of the eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori. The sensitivity of histological Helicobacter detection is on average higher than that of other methods including microbiology. Nevertheless, additional bacterial cultures are useful in cases of therapy resistant Helicobacter pylori infections. For routine diagnosis histological Helicobacter pylori detection is often combined with the so-called rapid urease test, which can be used in the endoscopy outpatient department, frequently offering an interim diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Furthermore, histological examination enables not only exact gastritis classification with Helicobacter pylori detection, but also the diagnosis of precancerous lesions and gastric carcinomas, as well as primary gastric lymphomas. Biopsy material for histological examination can be taken during the routinely necessary gastroscopic examination of patients with gastric symptoms without much additional burden.