MORPHOLOGICAL SPECTRUM OF GASTRIC LESIONS - ENDOSCOPIC BIOPSY FINDINGS

Abstract

Objective: A retrospective study was carried out to determine the morphological spectrum of gastric lesions at Pathology Department of Army Medical College, Rawalpindi for the duration of 02 years. Study Design: Descriptive Study. Patients and Methods: The gastric mucosal biopsies of 787 patients received from Gastroenterology unit of Military Hospital Rawalpindi from January 2002 to December 2003, were studied by routine histopathology methods. Results: A high frequency of gastric disease in males with a male to female ratio of 6:1 and an age range of 09 years to 85 years were observed. The clinical presentations mostly seen were abdominal pain, dyspepsia, vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased appetite and weight loss. On endoscopy the most frequently suspected lesions were gastritis 662(84.12%), stomach growth 45(5.72%), gastric ulcers 10(1.27%), while 70(8.89%) cases showed unremarkable mucosa. The histopathology revealed chronic non-specific gastritis 676(85.89%) followed by malignant tumours 45(5.72%), benign neoplasms 3(0.38%) and gastric ulcer 10(1.27%). A number of biopsies 53(6.73%) were unremarkable histologically. Conclusion: The more prevalent lesions in this series were chronic active gastritis followed by tumours and gastric ulcers. H. pylori associated gastritis was seen in majority of the patients. Thus gastric biopsy is an essential tool for diagnosis and confirmation of clinically suspected cases.