The Gastroscopic Diagnosis of Gastritis

Abstract
Myren, J. & Serck-Hanssen, A. The gastroscopic diagnosis of gastritis, with particular reference to mucosal reddening and mucus covering. Scarul. J. Gastroent. 1974, 9, 457–462. The gastroscopic mucosal alterations were graded and compared to bioptical histology and ‘maximal’ stimulated acid gastric secretion. The accuracy of the gastroscopic diagnosis of gastritis was estimated by comparison with the bioptical histological findings. The results showed that slight changes of grade I were of no importance for the diagnosis. Higher grades of mucosal reddening and mucus covering provided a correct gastroscopic diagnosis of gastritis in from two-thirds to more than four-fifths of the cases. Normal folding or increased folding indicated a superficial gastritis, whereas reduced or no folding indicated atrophic gastritis. The significant correlation to values of acid output indicated that the gastroscopical examination may be able to predict gastric acid secretion, particularly when atrophic gastritis is pronounced.