The intramucosal cysts of the stomach. I. In Swedish subjects with gastric or duodenal ulcers.

Abstract

Gastrectomy specimens from 51 patients operated on because of peptic ulcer disease were searched histologically for the presence of intramucosal cysts. The number of cysts for each cm of mucosa analyzed (cystic index) was calculated. Intramucosal cysts occurred in 34 per cent of the patients. The resultant cystic index was 0.19 (S.D. +/- 0.40). The cystic index was not correlated to age or sex. Comparative studies demonstrated significantly higher (p less than 0.001) proportions of intramucosal cysts in the non-tumoral mucosa from patients with early gastric cancer (cystic index 3.13 - S.D. +/- 3.55). The possible association between benign intramucosal cystic dilatation of the gastric glands and the occurrence of gastric carcinoma deserves further investigation. The occurrence of intramucosal cysts in a biopsy specimen should intensify the search for an early gastric cancer.