Abstract
The endoscopic findings and the association with Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection of the gastric mucosa, serum pepsinogen (PG) levels were examined in 99 patients with fundic gland polyp (FGP) and 139 with gastric cancer (GCA).1) Endoscopic findings showed no atrophic change in the folds of the greater curva-ture and antrum in the patients with FGP.2) 53 patients with FGP (53%) were associated with superficial gastritis (linear redness), but not gastric cancers, gastric adenomas, gastric ulcers and hyperplastic polyp.3) In the patients with FGP, serum PGII level was decreased. PGI/II ratio was remarkably higher as compared with in the GCA patients.4) Urease activity in the antral mucosa in the patient with FGP was negative. In 29 of 56 patients with GCA (52%) urease activity was also negative. Although serum HP antibody levels was normal in the patients with FGP, it was higher than normal in the patients with GCA. These results suggested that GCA patients have been infected with HP while FGP patients have not been infected. We concluded that the characteristic change of gastric mucosa of FGP patients is quite different from that of GCA patients and the presence of fundic gland polyp is a negative feature for gastric cancer.
