Introduction:

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium associated with inflammatory and neoplastic gastroduodenal diseases. Histopathology is one of the diagnostic methods used for its detection, which has a sensitivity of 90% to 95% when there is a high density of H. pylori; however, the bacterium may be missed in low-density infections because routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is not specific for its detection and has interobserver variability. This study aimed to determine the usefulness of complementary Giemsa staining for diagnosing H. pylori in preneoplastic lesions where the bacterium was found in low density.

Materials and methods:

A retrospective/prospective descriptive study was carried out that included 65 patients diagnosed with preneoplastic lesions. Gastric biopsies were stained with H&E and Giemsa and evaluated by two pathologists.

Results:

Giemsa staining analyzed 20.3% more cases of H. pylori than H&E, most with a low density of the bacteria. There were no statistically significant differences in the diagnosis of H. pylori according to the sample type.

Conclusion:

This study found that Giemsa staining improves the histopathological diagnosis of H. pylori in patients with preneoplastic lesions.

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