[Gastritis cystica polyposa: report of 7 cases and literature review]

Gastritis cystica polyposa (GCP) is a rare inflammatory disease of the gastric remnant that usually develops after partial gastrectomy. It is defined by the presence of polyps on anastomotic gastric mucosa and at histopathological examination, by the presence of mucosal and submucosal cysts with foveolar hyperplasia. The disease is characterized by the frequency of gastro-intestinal bleeding and possibility of carcinomatous association. We report seven cases of GCP collected over 5 years (1994-1999). Diagnosis was made 9 to 45 years after partial gastrectomy and Finsterer. The patients were 52 to 72 years old. Revealing symptoms were cardiac failure, cardiac ischemia, melena, severe anemia and epigastric pain. For one patient, GCP was discovered casually. Endoscopic examination showed in all patients; the presence of several polyps sized between 3 to 15 mm on the perianastomotic gastric remnant. Histology examination of the polyps showed microscopic features of GCP in all cases. In one patient, there was a mild glandular atrophy with extensive intestinal metaplasia and mild dysplasia. Helicobacter pylori was present only in this case.