Summary

The etiopathogenesis of chronic inflammation at the gastric cardia is not known exactly. It is suggested that carditis may be a finding of gastroesophageal reflux disease or it may occur as a result of the gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of the study was to examine morphological features of carditis, as well as the associations of carditis with Helicobacter pylori gastritis and esophagitis as a marker of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Endoscopic biopsy specimens obtained from esophagus, cardia and antrum of 83 dyspeptic patients were retrospectively evaluated. Carditis was detected in 77 (93%) of the cases. The mean age of the carditis group was 48,5 years and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1. The relation of the carditis with age and sex was not significant (p=0,485 and p=0,145). All cases of the carditis group had concomitant chronic gastritis. In cases with carditis, the chronic inflammation at antrum was significantly more severe than that found at cardia (p<0,001). Degree of neutrophilic infiltration (activity) and H. pylori colonisation were significantly correlated (p=0,005). Intestinal metaplasia was observed in 6 cases (8.0%). Of 28 cases in which chronic esophagitis was detected, 22 cases had features of carditis. Although the number of cases with carditis accompanying H. pylori infection was higher than the ones without infection, there was no significant relationship between the risk factors and carditis. We suggest that this is because of the unsufficient number of cases which do not have carditis.