A Study of Clinical and Endoscopic Profile of Patient Presenting with Functional Dyspepsia and Evaluation of Therapeutic Approaches

Background: Functional dyspepsia is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder affecting approximately 25% of the global population annually. It is characterized by symptoms such as epigastric pain, bloating, and nausea, which significantly impact healthcare costs and quality of life. Functional dyspepsia is diagnosed based on the Rome IV criteria, which exclude structural diseases as the cause of symptoms. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic approaches for dyspeptic patients and to assess the effects of various management methods, including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication, on symptom improvement. Patients and methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at the Gastrointestinal Unit of El-Mataria Teaching Hospital over six months. One hundred patients (mean age 50.25 ± 15.32 years; 55% females) diagnosed with functional dyspepsia underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, and endoscopic assessment. The study analyzed the impact of H. pylori eradication therapy on symptom severity using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and two weeks after treatment. Results: H. pylori infection was detected in 75% of patients. Significant endoscopic findings included chronic superficial gastritis (54%), chronic atrophic gastritis (30%), and esophageal lesions (14%). The mean VAS score significantly decreased from 3.15 ± 0.76 to 1.00 ± 0.82 following treatment (p < 0.001). A statistically significant association was observed between H. pylori infection and endoscopic findings (p = 0.014). No significant correlations were found between endoscopic findings and personal data or risk factors. Conclusion: Our study underscored the importance of H. pylori eradication in improving symptoms severity and advocate for individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.