The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research  2013;13(2):91-94

doi:10.7704/kjhugr.2013.13.2.91

Intestinal Metaplasia: Reversible after Treatment?.

Si Hyung LEE 1 ; Byung Ik JANG

Affiliations

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Keywords

Intestinal metaplasia; Helicobacter pylori; Therapeutics

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Intestinal metaplasia is often found in the clinical situation in Korea and was reported as a pre-cancerous lesion by several previous studies. Intestinal metaplasia is mainly caused by infection of Helicobacter pylori, but whether intestinal metaplasia improves or reverses after eradication of H. pylori has not been agreed upon. Most randomized clinical studies reported that intestinal metaplasia improved or did not progress after H. pylori eradication therapy. But, infection rates and antibiotic resistance rates of H. pylori infection and the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia varies according to the region and race, therefore large prospective randomized studies are needed before we can reach any conclusions.