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Helicobacter pylori is the name of a bacterium able to colonize the mucosa of the stomach; the resulting infection establishes a framework local inflammatory, which can progress, in infrequent cases, to major diseases such as chronic gastritis, non-ulcer dyspepsia, peptic ulcer and stomach cancer.

To make the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori is used the following methods:

    • breath test: urea-breath-test so called because it measures the amount of labeled carbon dioxide emitted in the breath. During the examination the patient is invited to assume urea marked, ie a substance that contains carbon atoms radioactively marked; at this point if the stomach is present l ‘Helicobacter pylori bacterium transforms the labeled molecule of urea into two smaller molecules (ammonia and carbon dioxide). The carbon labeled thus ends in the molecules of carbon dioxide that is emitted in the breath. If the alcohol breath testing devices have other residues of labeled carbon dioxide means that the bacteria lurks in the stomach, then the test is positive.
    • sample of stool: you search the bacterium in the stool (most useful in monitoring therapy).