Abstract
549 gastric ulcers, open or scarred, resected from 470 patients were step-sectioned forblocking with each slice being 5 mm in thickness for histopathological examination of theregenerative epithelium with special reference to its intestinalization. The results were asfollows : (1) About 70% of the regenerative epithelium revealed intestinalization. (2) Bothof the so-called 'complete' and 'incomplete' types of intestinalization were found. (3)Parietal cells and chief cells were occasionally noted in the regenerative epithelium ofulcers located in the fundic gland area or at the fundo-pyloric gland border. Based on the above findings, it would be assumed that regenerative epithelium frequentlytakes the form of intestinal epithelium possibly as a 'reversion' phenomenon at a stageof the regenerative process, and it may re-differentiate or remain as intestinalized mucosa(intestinal metaplasia) thereafter.There is a strong tendency to regard intestinalization as a premalignant condition. However, intestinalization was quite frequently noted in the regenerative epithelium asabove mentioned and therefore it seems to be unreasonable to connect it directly withgastric cancer.
