Intramucosal cysts in gastric mucosa adjacent to carcinoma and peptic ulcer: a histochemical study

Histochemical characteristics and the distribution of gastric intramucosal cysts were studied in 50 cancerous and 51 benign gastrectomy specimens. The frequency of such cysts was significantly higher in stomachs with carcinoma (70%) than in stomachs with peptic ulcer (43%) (P less than 0.01). Intramucosal cysts were classified into gastric type, small intestinal type, colonic type and non-mucous type. There were significant differences in the constituent ratios of the four types of cyst between gastric carcinoma and gastric ulcer (P less than 0.01), as well as between intestinal type and diffuse type cancer (P less than 0.001). The present results reveal a close relationship between intramucosal cysts and gastric carcinoma. Cysts of small intestinal, colonic and non-mucous types were associated with intestinal type cancer while cysts of gastric type were related to diffuse type cancer of the stomach.