Abstract
In order to elcidated the pathogenesis of the gastric mucosal lesion in portal hypertension, the severity of esophageal varices was endoscopically and histopathologically compared in patients between liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. The changes of the gastric mucosa were also studied after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). As a result, it was shown that the incidence of gastric mucosal lesions were more frequent in liver cirrhosis with esophageal varices than in chronic hepatitis without varices. Namely, there was a high incidence of the gastric mucosal lesions in esophageal varices. It was suggested that the severity of esophageal varices was related to the gastric mucosal changes in patients with liver cirrhosis. The dilatation of capillaries in biopsied specimen of the gastric mucosa was a characteristic finding. It should be noted, however, that gastric mucosal changes and dilatation of capillaries were not always present in patient with portal hypertension. There was no change of the gastric mucosa and esophageal varices befor and after EIS for short time observation. The development of the gastric mucosal lesions was supposed to the impairment of gastric mucosal blood flow in liver chirrhosis, but some local factors also played an important role.
