Gastroscopic and Histolosic Studies of the Stomach with Gastric and Extra-Gastric Disease During Life and at Autopsy

Abstract

1. A study of 40 autopsy and gastroscopic biopsy cases is presented in an attempt to understand better, the underlying pathology existing in gastritis. li]2.|Histologie criteria for the “normal” stomach and grades of gastritis as agreed upon by our pathologists, and utilized in this study, are presented. li]3.|In 15 necropsy cases, the stomachs of adults and infants were fixed by immediate autopsy or intubation at death for the evaluation of so-called normals in extra-gastric disease. 6 of the 15 proved normal histologically, and three in adults from 26 to 43 years of age. li]4.|9 of this group showed gastritis, subacute or chronic, and again revealed that histologic chronic gastritis does not run parallel with clinical gastrointestinal symptoms. li]5.|Detailed data, with illustrative charts, on 25 cases, in which gastroscopic studies, followed shortly by biopsied specimens taken through the open tube gastroscope, were compared with subsequent histologic findings. In no case was operation or resection performed. li]6.(a)|Histologic diagnosis agrees with gastroscopic diagnosis on “normal” or gastritis stomachs in 52% of cases; (b) Histologic diagnosis disagrees with gastroscopic diagnosis on “normal” or gastritis stomachs in 24% of cases; (c) Histologic diagnosis gave questionable findings in 24% of cases diagnosed gastroscopically as gastritis or “normal.” li]7.(a)|The gastroscopic appearance of a severe gastritis is usually verified by the histologic examination; (b) The gastroscopic appearance of a mild or moderate degree of gastritis or normal stomach may be contradicted upon histological examination; (c) What appears to be a normal stomach gastroscopically —may be a gastritis, histologically, and vice versa, unless a marked, or Grade III to IV gastritis is seen gastroscopically.