Which invasive procedure is used for histology or rapid urease testing in Helicobacter pylori diagnosis?

• A. Endoscopy with biopsy.
• B. Urea breath test.
• C. Stool antigen test.
• D. Serology.

Answer: (A)

When diagnosing H. pylori with tissue-based methods, you need a sample from the stomach lining obtained during an endoscopy. Histology looks at the biopsy under a microscope to see the bacteria and assess mucosal changes. The rapid urease test uses that same biopsy specimen in a urease-detecting medium; if H. pylori is present, the urease it produces changes the medium’s pH and causes a color change. These tissue-based assessments require an invasive procedure because they rely on obtaining gastric tissue, unlike non-invasive options such as the urea breath test, stool antigen test, or serology, which do not involve biopsy.