Comparison Between Magnifying Endoscopy and Histological, Culture and Urease Test Findings from the Gastric Mucosa of the Corpus

Background and Study Aims: The incidence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan is high. Unlike the case in Western countries, H. pylori-induced gastritis in Japanese patients has a tendency to spread to the corpus. H. pylori-induced gastritis is characterized by a number of specific endoscopic findings. In a previous study, the endoscopic features and a magnified view of the gastric mucosa of the corpus of H. pylori-negative normal stomach were described. This report describes the specific histological features and magnified views of the H. pylori-negative stomach and compares them with those seen during H. pylori-induced gastritis.
Patients and Methods: The anterior wall or greater curvature of the middle body of the stomachs of 297 patients were observed by magnifying endoscopy (× 80). Forceps biopsy was performed at the following locations: i) the magnified site, for histological examination; ii) the antral mucosa, for culture/urease test, and histology; and iii) greater curvature of the upper body for culture/urease test.
Results: 72 patients were diagnosed as having H. pylori-negative normal stomach and 225 as having H. pylori-positive gastritis. The magnified views were classified into four types: i) collecting venules, with true capillaries forming a network, and gastric pits resembling pinholes (type Z-0; n = 80); ii) irregular true capillaries but no collecting venules observed (type Z-1; n = 36); iii) white gastric pits and sulci, with neither collecting venules nor true capillaries being seen (Z-2; n = 110); and iv) dilated pits with surrounding redness (Z-3; n = 71). All cases of H. pylori-negative normal stomach were type Z-0, whereas H. pylori-induced gastritis was present in all cases where the classification was Z-1, Z-2, or Z-3. Type Z-0 differed significantly from types Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3 with regard to the grade of inflammation, activity, and presence of H. pylori.
Conclusions: Collecting venules and true capillaries forming a network with gastric pits in the center (type Z-0) were observed in the H. pylori-negative normal mucosa. The magnified views of H. pylori-related gastritis clearly differed from type Z-0.

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