The gastric mucosa in portal hypertension: structural and ultrastructural observations

The gastric mucosal lesions represent a frequent cause of hemorrhage in the portal hypertension (PHG) and in the hepatic cirrhosis. This study was undertaken to assess the structural and ultra structural modifications in the intimal lamina of the stomach in this pathology. The cells of mucosa show graded alterative transformations. In the gastric mucosa, some of the chief (enzymatic) cells present a quasi-normal histological organization; others increased alterations such as irregular and heterochromatic nuclei, fewer cytoplasm organelles, numerous clear vesicles and heterogeneous lysosomes. The parietal (oxyntic) cells show in their apical cytoplasm wide dilatations of the intracellular canalicles, vesicles, a reduced number of organelles and irregular nuclei. The enteroendocrine cells (APUD) present an increased number of granules and organelles in the cytoplasm. The connective inter-glandular tissue contains active fibroblasts, micro inflammatory zones, blood vessels with hypertrophied endothelium, irregular and dilated lumen. Subsequent to these alterations in the structures of the gastric mucosa in portal hypertension, the function of synthesis/excretion of the pepsinogen, lipase, hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor, serotonin, etc. are affected.