Review of my researches regarding diseases in Iraq

Background: Intestinal metaplasia is a paracancerous lesion affecting the gastric mucosa in patients with chronic gastritis. Prevalence of intestinal metaplasia is different from region to another; In Iraq there is no available data (at least by the Ministry of Health ) covering this subject.Objectives: To estimate the frequency of intestinal metaplasia (IM) in dyspeptic patients in Northern Iraq. Also, to assess the age and sex distribution of IM. Further, to assess the presence of Helicobacter pylori organisms in gastric mucosa that got IM.Materials and Methods: A total number of 476 antral gastric biopsies were collected in Al-Sulaymaniyah GIT-Centre and examined histologically to detect intestinal metaplasia and then these biopsies stained by Giemsa to detect H.pylori organisms.Results: The frequency of intestinal metaplasia in the antral gastric mucosa of dyspeptic patients was 8.19 %. More than 90% of patients were above the age of 40 years and there was no significant gender predominance. H.pylori colonization in gastric mucosa is significantly decreased in case of IM.