Conditions of the microscopic diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric biopsy in France

The histological study of gastric biopsies is very much used for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. A survey was performed among the members of the "Club d'Histopathologie Digestive et Hepatique" on the conditions of this diagnosis. The diagnosis is pet-formed systematically by 91% of the pathologists. A special stain is used in 72% of cases (most often Giemsa), and immunohistochemistry is very rarely used. The classifications of gastritis that are frequently used are the Sydney system and the Whitehead's classification. In conclusion, it appears that the methods in use in France for the histological diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection are relatively homogeneous.