Does gastric atrophy exist in children?

Table 1 Studies concerning atrophic gastritis in children

Authors	Updated Sydneysystem	Total ofincludedpatients	Average ageof includedpatients	Hp+(n)	Prevalence of gastric atrophy(and/or IM)1 (%)	Average age ofpatients withGA (yr)	Number of patients < 10 yr with GA(yr)
-Whitney[5] 2000 USA	Yes	42	11	42	19% Hp+ (10%)	11	4
-Kolho[12] 2000 Finland	Not reported	71	9	71	0% (10%)	Not reported	0
-Cohen[13] 2000 Argentina	Yes	15	11	15	0% (10%)	Not reported	0
-Campbell[14] 2001 Gambia	Yes	37	2	21	0% (0%)	Not reported	0
-Ozturk[6] 2003 Turkey	Yes	27	12	18	72% Hp+ and 11% Hp- (178% all Hp+)	Not reported	Not reported
-Guarner[7] 2003 USA	Yes	64	Hp+=9 Hp-=9	19	63% Hp+ and 22% Hp- (121% all Hp+)	8 (Hp+)	6
-Usta[8] 2004 Turkey	Yes	175	12	175	2% Hp+ (12%)	12	1
-Levine[9] 2004 Israel	Not reported	95	14	55	1% 1Hp- (0 Hp+) (10%)	14	0
-Kato[15] 2006 Japan	Yes	196	11	131	- antral GA :	Not reported	Not reported
					52% Hp+/11% Hp- (5% Hp+/5% Hp-) - fundic GA : 35% Hp+/8% Hp- (0% Hp+/4% Hp-)

¹IM: Intestinal metaplasia. Hp: H pylori

Table 2 Studies reporting observations of atrophic gastritis in children without H pylori infection

Authors	Total of cases		atrophicgastritisHp- (n)	Clinical symptoms(average age)
	Hp+(n)	Hp- (n)
- Ozturk[11] 2003 Turkey	18	9	1 mild	Chronic abdominal pain (12 yr)
- Guarner[12] 2003 USA	19	45	10	Upper chronic digestive symptoms (9 yr)
- Levine[14] 2004 Israel	55	40	1	Gastro-esophageal reflux, epigastric pain, collagenous gastritis

Hp: H pylori.