초록
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is common in korea and high incidence at gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. $^{14}C-urea$ breath test ($^{14}C-UBT$) is regarded as a highly reliable and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnositc performance of a new and rapid $^{14}C-UBT$, which was equipped with Geiger-Muller counter and compared the results with those obtained by gastroduodenoscopic biopsies (GBx). One hundred sixty-eight patients (M : F = 118 : 50) underwent $^{14}C-UBT$, rapid urease test (CLO test), and GBx. The results of $^{14}C-UBT$ were classified as positive (>50 cpm), borderline (25$^{14}C-UBT$ or CLO test results with GBx as a glod standard. In the assessment of the presence of H. pylori infection, the $^{14}C-UBT$ global performance yielded positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 93.3% and 83.3%, respectively. However, the CLO test had performance yielded positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 76.9%, 50.0%, respectively. In this study $^{14}C-UBT$ is a highly accurate, simple and non-invasive method or the diagnosis of follow up H. pylori infection.