[Gastric epithelial polyps. A retrospective study 1995-2000]

The analysis of the endoscopic and histological characteristics of all the gastric epithelial polyps diagnosed through endoscopy in our service during a period of 5 years, and the evaluation of the usefulness of the endoscopic monitoring after polypectomy.

Between January 1995 and January 2000 5,314 high digestive system endoscopies were carried out in the Gastroenterology Service of the Santa María Madre Hospital. Sixty-four gastric epithelial polyps were detected in 18 patients (10 men and 8 women) with a median age of 61.7 years.

Sixty-three polyps were removed through endoscopic polypectomy, and one was biopsied because of its size (5 cm), 30 (46.87%) were hyperplastic polyps, 24 (37.5%) presented normal histological characteristics, 8 (12.5%) were adenomas and 2 (3.12%) were polypoid adenocarcinomas. 56.2% measured less than 6 mm and only 6.2% measured more than 11 mm. No patient presented simultaenous gastric adenocarcinoma. Only one complication was observed after the polypectomy, a hemorrhage that was treated successfully with local injection of adrenaline. During the follow-up no case of cancer was detected and the recurrence of the polyp was observed in 2/8 patients with adenoma.

Gastric epithelial polyps are infrequent (0.33% gastroscopies); most of them (93.75%) measure less than 1 cm and they can be removed through endoscopy with safety. In our series, the most frequent histological type was the hyperplastic polyp (43.75%); polypoid adenocarcinoma constituted 3.12% of the cases, one of them with less than 6 mm. Endoscopic follow-up is considered absolutely essential after the polypectomy, especially in adenomatous polyps.