1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-8-90-a 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-8-12-2 Infectious Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Brain Dysfunction http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 12 1994 01 06 2016 8 12 90 90 Copyright: © 1994 The Author(s) 1994 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Symptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection in young patients with severe neurologic impairment

Helicobacter pylori infection was identified in 5 children with severe neurologic impairment who underwent upper gi endoscopy at the Alfred I duPont Institute, Wilmington, De, and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.

 Helicobacter Pylori Infection Cerebral Palsy Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Helicobacter pylori infection was identified in 5 children with severe neurologic impairment who underwent upper gi endoscopy at the Alfred I duPont Institute, Wilmington, De, and Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. Subsequently, patients with severe neurologic impairments, such as cerebral palsy and head trauma, who had endoscopies because of gastrointestinal symptoms were examined for H. pylori infection in gastric antral mucosa biopsies. Of 61 examined, 7 (11%) were positive for infection and had gastritis. Institutionalized patients were at much greater risk of infection than those seen as outpatients (75% cf 7%). Resolution of gi symptoms (emesis, guiac-positive stools, refusal to eat, and irritability during feedings) was complete in 6 of the 12 infected patients and partial in 4 after antibiotic treatment. [1]

COMMENT. All neurologically impaired, and especially institutionalized, children with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should be examined and treated when positive for H. pylori infection.

A possible H. pylori infection should be considered in children with epilepsy who develop gastritis and feeding difficulties after long-term treatment with valproic acid, divalproex sodium, and other antiepileptic drugs. (see Progress in Pediatric Neurology I, PNB Publishers, 1991). Gastritis and gastric ulceration attributed to the antiepileptic drugs may be due primarily to infection in the gastric mucosa.

 Proujansky R Shaffer SE Vinton NE Bachrach SJ Symptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection in young patients with severe neurologic impairment J Pediatr 1994 Nov 125 5 Pt 1 750 752 10.1016/S0022-3476(06)80175-7 7965428