Are Routine Ancillary Stains Required to Diagnose Helicobacter Infection in Gastric Biopsy Specimens? An Institutional Quality Assurance Review

Gastric biopsies are often done to evaluate for Helicobacter gastritis. Given the oncogenic association with Helicobacter gastritis and the relative ease of therapy, it is important for pathology departments to identify all positive cases. We describe an institutional quality assurance study of an institutional method for the diagnosis of Helicobacter gastritis. We reviewed 356 gastric biopsy specimens from a 4-week period at I institution. Approximately half were evaluated by 4 methods, H&E stain, Giemsa stain, Warthin-Starry stain, and Helicobacter immunostain, while the remainder were stained only with H&E and Helicobacter immunostains. There were 30 cases of Helicobacter gastritis diagnosed; about 83% of cases were diagnosed on the initial H&E-stained slides. Our study highlights a quality assurance study and a head-to head comparison of 4 methods not previously reported and supports the use of ancillary stains at the discretion of the sign-out pathologist.