FREQUENCY OF H. PYLORI INFECTION IN FEMALE PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH CHOLELITHIASIS AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, LARKANA

Background: Helicobacter pylori is a common gastrointestinal pathogen implicated in dyspepsia and peptic pathology. Its putative association with gallstone disease remains debated, with heterogeneous prevalence estimates across populations. Determining the burden of H. pylori among women with cholelithiasis can inform local diagnostic and management strategies. Objective: To determine the frequency of H. pylori infection in female patients presenting with cholelithiasis at a tertiary care hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. Study design: Cross-sectional, single-centre study. Settings: Department of Surgery, Chandka Medical College (tertiary care hospital), Larkana, Pakistan. Duration of study: January 5, 2025, to June 5, 2025. Methods: After institutional review board approval, consecutive non-probability sampling was used to enrol 79 women aged 30–60 years with newly diagnosed cholelithiasis and dyspeptic symptoms for ≥1 month. H. pylori infection status was determined according to institutional diagnostic protocols and recorded as present/absent. Stratified analyses were performed by age (<45 vs ≥45 years), residence (urban vs rural), and duration of dyspepsia (<6 months vs ≥6 months). Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The overall frequency of H. pylori infection was 25.3% (20/79). Infection prevalence was numerically higher in women <45 years (11/20) than in those ≥45 years (9/20), but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.158). Residence was not associated with infection (urban 10/20 vs rural 10/20; p=1.0). Duration of dyspepsia showed no significant correlation with infection (≤6 months 10/20 vs >6 months 10/20; p=0.796). Conclusion: Among women with cholelithiasis at a tertiary centre in Larkana, H. pylori infection was moderate (~25%) and showed no significant association with age group, residence, or symptom duration. These data do not support routine stratification by these factors when considering H. pylori evaluation in this population.