Comparison between gastric biopsies without fixation for 24 hours and conventional biopsy for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in a reference hospital in Peru

Abstract

Objectives. To compare gastric biopsies immediately fixed with 10% formalin with biopsies fixed after 24 hours for the detection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in a reference hospital in Peru. Materials and methods. A diagnostic test study on gastric biopsies from 72 patients attending the Gastroenterology service of hospital Essalud Alberto Sabogal in Callao was performed. Samples from each patient were divided into two glass jars, one of which was fixed immediately with 10% formalin and the other was fixed after 24 hours. Both groups of samples were processed with the conventional technique of paraffin embedding and staining with hematoxylin-eosin. Results. Hp was found in 56.9% of the group of biopsies which were inmediatly fixed and in 79.2% of the group of biopsies fixed after 24 hours, showing statistical difference (p <0.001). Conclusions. There is an increased frequency of diagnosis of Hp in the samples that were fixed after 24 hours, which may suggest that this would act as a biological culture for Hp, which would facilitate its diagnosis.