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 (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.
Ahuja et al. (Fri,) studied this question.