Granulomatous gastritis associated with Campylobacter pylori

Abstract

Three cases of granulomatous inflammation in gastric biopsies showing Campylobacter pylori infestation are described. This type of reaction to Campylobacter pylori has not previously been described, and occurred in 1.1% of gastric biopsies containing Campylobacter-like organisms (CLO), in this series of all gastric biopsies submitted for histological examination during one year. Two other cases each showed a mucosal granuloma: one was a patient with Crohn's disease and the other had foreign body giant cells in a biopsy of the edge of a healing gastric ulcer. Each of our three CLO-positive cases with granulomas showed scanty CLO's only. Thus, although granulomatous inflammation associated with CLO's is uncommon as a proportion of all CLO-positive gastric biopsies, these currently represent the commonest condition associated with granulomas in gastric biopsies, in our experience.