Abstract
In order to clarify the histological characteristics of endoscopic reddening, 298 biopsied gatric mucosae were examined. One hundred fourty seven mucosae were diagnosed as patchy reddening, 33 as "Kammrotung", and 45 as spotty reddening endoscopically. Fourty non-reddening mucosae with giant fold or irregular surface, and 33 non-reddening mucosa with smooth surface were used for the control. Histlogical criteria for acute inflammation were congestion, edema, neutrophil infiltration and erosion, and those for chronic infiltra-tion were lympho-plasma cell infiltration, atrophy of foveolar epithelium, atrophy of pyloric or fundic glands and intestinal metaplasia. Most of the gastric mucosae with reddening (193/225, 86%) showed acute inflamma-tory changes and the incidence was significantly higher than non-reddening mucosae with smooth surface (18/33, 55%). The mucosae surrounding the reddening showed varied degree of chronic inflammatory changes, and atrophy of foveolar epithelium and pyloric or fundic glands were similarly observed in both the reddening and non-reddening mucosae. Therefore, endoscopic reddening of the gastric mucosa were related to acute inflammation and it might be independent of superficial gastritis as the initial stage of chronic gastritis.
