Eradication of Helicobacter pylori in the treatment of uncomplicated peptic ulcer disease

At least 95% of patients with duodenal ulcers and 80% of patients with gastric ulcers are infected with Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori is clearly recognised as the major culprit involved in the pathophysiology of peptic ulcer disease. Since eradication of this organism has prevented ulcer recurrence, there have been radical changes in evaluating and treating patients with this disease. This review is a summary of the literature obtained from a MEDLINE search (1966 to 1997) of the English-language literature pertaining to H. pylori and peptic ulcer disease. All articles related to the aetiology or treatment of H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer disease were considered in the review and information was selected at the discretion of the authors. This review discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, clinical evaluation and effective treatment options concerning peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori infection. With the discovery of the association between peptic ulcer disease and H. pylori, many peptic ulcers can now be cured.