SYNCOPES LEADING TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF A HELICOBACTER-PYLORI POSITIVE CHRONIC ACTIVE HEMORRHAGIC GASTRITIS

A 15-year-old girl was admitted after 1 week of increasing fatigue and pallor. She had no gastro-intestinal complaints. The patient had suffered from four episodes of syncope during the last 3 days prior to admission. Besides pallor and a discrete cardiac murmur, the physical examination was normal. A further thorough investigation revealed an iron deficiency anaemia related to a Helicobacter pylori positive chronic active haemorrhagic gastritis. Treatment consisted of amoxycillin and colloidal bismuth subcitrate (500 mg and 120 mg orally respectively, 3 times daily) during a period of 6 weeks. Iron supplements were not administered. Together with the clearance of H. pylori and healing of the haemorrhagic gastritis, as demonstrated by histology, haemoglobin values returned to normal and the symptoms disappeared. An eradication of the micro-organism was obtained. She has since had no further similar complaints.