Abstract
The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the endoscopic methylene blue (MB) method for intestinal metaplasia was discussed. From the stain patterns of the gastric mucosa by the MB method, staining intensity and magnified patterns were studied. Staining intensity was evaluated by conventional endoscopy and a total of 176 biopsy specimens were collected from stained and non-stained sites of 52 cases. Magnified patterns were evaluated using a magnifying fiberscope (fifteen magnifications) and a total of 84 biopsy specimens were collected from stained and non-stained sites of 20 cases. Both staining intensity and magnified patterns were examined for consistency with biopsy specimens. The values of sensitivity and specificity were 0.89 and 0.66 respectively when these were calculated using staining intensity as the indicator. However, these values increased to 0.99 and 0.71 respectively when magnified patterns were used as the indicator. It may be said that if presence of MB staining is evaluated using magnified patterns as the indicator in the MB staining method, then stained and non-stained sites correspond to intestinal metaplastic and non-metaplastic sites respectively at almost perfect consistency.
