Biomedical subjects

C Holcombe

Publications and source records attributed to C Holcombe.

41 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Non-ulcer dyspepsia in Nigeria: a case-control study.

Non-ulcer dyspepsia is common in Africa, yet there are few data on its possible cause. In this study 40 patients with strictly defined non-ulcer dyspepsia were matched with 40 asymptomatic volunteers. Both groups were questioned concerning their intake of alcohol, cola nut, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and smoking. They then underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with mucosal biopsy of the gastric mucosa: these biopsies were examined for gastritis and Helicobacter pylori. Ingestion of cola nut was the only statistically significant difference between the two groups. A high prevalence of gastritis and H. pylori infection was found in both groups, suggesting that these factors are not important in the aetiology of non-ulcer dyspepsia in northern Nigeria.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence of antibody to Helicobacter pylori in children in northern Nigeria.

Helicobacter pylori infection is common in northern Nigeria, but the age of acquisition is unknown. In a prospective study, immunoglobulin G antibodies to H. pylori were measured in 143 children under the age of 20 years. Ninety-one percent of 43 randomly chosen subjects over 10 years had antibodies to H. pylori. A further 100 children under 10 years presenting to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital were also tested. Sixty-nine percent had antibodies, including 58% of those aged under 1 year. H. pylori infection is acquired at an early age, and in this study was not associated with any other pathology. This study was carried out in an area where peptic ulceration and gastric cancer are uncommon. The early acquisition of H. pylori infection may be important in relation to its apparent lack of pathogenicity.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Low incidence of clinically significant gastroduodenal pathology despite a high incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Gastric Helicobacter pylori infection is common throughout the tropics yet does not always correlate with the incidence of serious upper gastrointestinal pathology. In a consecutive series of 213 patients examined by gastroscopy for dyspepsia in northern Nigeria, 176 (92%) of 193 with acceptable biopsies had gastritis. Only 16 (8%) had a histologically normal gastric mucosa. H. pylori was present in 161 of 192 patients (84%); 31/41 (75%) with chronic gastritis and 130/135 (96%) with active gastritis. Serious pathology, ulcer and gastric cancer were present in only 29 (14%).

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The pattern of malignant disease in north east Nigeria.

This paper is a retrospective review of the 780 admissions with malignancy to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital over a five year period, 1983-1987, carried out to determine the type of malignancies presenting and their relative frequencies and to compare this with the rest of West Africa. The commonest tumours were primary liver cell carcinoma with a proportional frequency of 17%, carcinoma of the breast (8%) and bladder (7%). There is a lower incidence of trophoblastic carcinoma (0.3%) than might be expected and a higher incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (8% of male tumours). Carcinoma of the stomach and colorectum are uncommon. The possible reasons for this are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of symptoms of dyspepsia in north eastern Nigeria. A random community based survey.

In a randomised household survey of 620 people in rural north eastern Nigeria there was a 26% six month prevalence of dyspepsia in adults and a 6% prevalence amongst teenagers. Dyspepsia was associated with the intake of alcohol (p less than 0.0054) and Cola nut (p less than 0.00013). The prevalence increased with age; the mean length of history was nearly four years and over half of the subjects with dyspepsia had sought medical advice, mainly from traditional healers. 12% of a similar group of hospital patients with dyspepsia were previously found to have peptic ulceration, suggesting that the community prevalence for peptic ulceration is 18/1000. This is lower than found in the 'West'.

Adolescent↗