Campylobacter pylori has been implicated in the pathogenesis of peptide ulcer disease. The rapid identification of this organism may depend upon histologic diagnosis, because culture methods are complex and require a minimum of seven days in order to identify a negative specimen. The purpose of this study was to determine which stain used to identify this organism was the most cost-effective and easiest to perform and interpret on a routine basis. Sixty-one consecutive gastric antral biopsies were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, Giemsa, Brown-Brenn, and Warthin-Starry, with 23 of the cases stained by Brown-Hopps. Of the stains tested, the Wright-Giemsa was the easiest to perform. The organisms on the Wright-Giemsa showed a smooth, uniform purple color, whereas the Warthin-Starry gave the organism a granular appearance that at times could be confused for silver precipitate. Both the Wright-Giemsa and Brown-Hopps stain had the highest degree of identification of the organism (defined by percent positivity). The routine use of the Wright-Giemsa stain for identification of C. pylori in antral biopsies is recommended.