Background
Atrophic gastritis is a histopathologic entity characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa with loss of the gastric glandular cells and replacement by intestinal-type epithelium, pyloric-type glands, and fibrous tissue.
Atrophy of the gastric mucosa is the endpoint of chronic processes, such as chronic gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, other unidentified environmental factors, and autoimmunity directed against gastric glandular cells.
See the images below.
Atrophic gastritis. Helicobacter pylori–associated chronic active gastritis (Genta stain, 20x). Multiple organisms (brown) are observed adhering to gastric surface epithelial cells. A mononuclear lymphoplasmacytic and polymorphonuclear cell infiltrate is observed in the mucosa.
Atrophic gastritis. Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa (Genta stain, 20x). Intestinal-type epithelium with numerous goblet cells (stained blue with the Alcian blue stain) replace the gastric mucosa and represent gastric atrophy. Mild chronic inflammation is observed in the lamina propria. This pattern of atrophy is observed both in Helicobacter pylori–associated atrophic gastritis and autoimmune gastritis.
The 2 main causes of atrophic gastritis result in distinct topographic types of gastritis, which can be distinguished histologically. H pylori–associated atrophic gastritis is usually a multifocal process that involves both the antrum and the oxyntic mucosa of the gastric corpus and fundus, whereas autoimmune gastritis essentially is restricted to the gastric corpus and fundus. Individuals with autoimmune gastritis
may develop pernicious anemia because of extensive loss of parietal cell mass and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies.
H pylori–associated atrophic gastritis is frequently asymptomatic, but individuals with this disease are at increased risk of developing gastric carcinoma, which may decrease following H pylori eradication.
Patients with chronic atrophic gastritis develop low gastric acid output and hypergastrinemia, which may lead to enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell hyperplasia and carcinoid tumors.
For patient education resources, see the Digestive Disorders Center, as well as Gastritis.