PAST AND FUTURE OF THE KYOTO CLASSIFICATION OF GASTRITIS

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is closely associated with gastric cancer, and endoscopic diagnosis of H. pylori infection is essential to determine the risk of gastric cancer. The Kyoto Classification of Gastritis includes 19 typical endoscopic findings of gastritis based on a patientʼs H. pylori status including H. pylori-uninfected, -infected, and -post-infected statuses. Regular arrangement of collecting venules is a typical endoscopic finding observed in H. pylori-uninfected individuals. H. pylori-infected patients typically show atrophy and sometimes intestinal metaplasia, nodularity, enlarged folds with diffuse redness and sticky mucus production, whereas patients with previous H. pylori infection present disappearance of diffuse redness and sometimes map-like redness is observed.

In addition, this revised edition of the Classification covers gastric mucosal changes other than those caused by H. pylori infection. The Kyoto Classification of Gastritis is useful for diagnosis of H. pylori infection and risk assessment of gastric cancer in endoscopic practice, and is also expected to be useful for student education and training of endoscopists.