IDIOPATHIC CHRONIC GASTRITIS

Abstract

Idiopathic chronic gastritis is an autoimmune disease, and the causes of this gastritis probably act through a final common immunologic pathway. Specific gastric antibodies are diagnostic of this gastritis and the tissue of the gastric mucosa is characterized by infiltrations of mononuclear cells damaging the glandular parenchyma with concomitant loss of gastric secretory function. With suitable predisposing factors operating, the patient with simple chronic gastritis can have pernicious anemia develop. Chronic gastritis is frequently associated with chronic gastric ulcer and carcinoma of the stomach but not with duodenal ulcer. Chronic gastritis clinically presents with vague dyspeptic symptoms. Females are more commonly affected than males and the incidence rises with advancing age. Treatment of chronic gastritis is supportive in nature and similar to the treatment of other autoimmune diseases. A new treatment of duodenal ulcer was suggested whereby the patients are immunized against gastric mucosal antigen with a view to induction of chronic gastritis. The resulting biochemical damage of the parietal cells will produce hypochlorhydria.