Open AccessBarrettʼs Ulcer and Campylobacter-like Organisms Infection in a Child
Author(s) -
Costantino De Giacomo,
Roberto Fiocca,
Laura Villani,
Laura Bertolotti,
Giuseppe Maggiore
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.206
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1536-4801
pISSN - 0277-2116
DOI - 10.1097/00005176-198809000-00024
Subject(s) - medicine , esophagus , esophagitis , gastroenterology , metaplasia , intestinal metaplasia , campylobacter , gastritis , peptic , stomach , reflux esophagitis , gerd , peptic ulcer , reflux , disease , biology , bacteria , genetics
Barrett's esophagus is a gastrointestinal metaplasia of the esophageal epithelium occurring frequently in adults with long-standing peptic esophagitis. Recent reports of Barrett's esophagus in children with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) showed that also at the pediatric age intestinal metaplasia of the esophagus may occur in association with peptic esophagitis. Recently a close association between Campylobacter-like organisms (CLOs) and gastritis has been found in the stomach of both adults and children with a variety of peptic diseases, but evidence of such infection in specimens of Barrett's epithelium has never been described in children. We report here a child with Barrett's esophagus and GER, treated with H2 blockers, who showed a Barrett's ulcer in association with CLO infection. The addition of amoxicillin to antireflux treatment was accompanied by healing of the ulcer, suggesting that bacterial infection of Barrett's epithelium may have an important role in determining its inflammation and possibly ulceration.