[Chronic gastritis in patients with unexplained upper abdominal symptoms (author's transl)]

In 439 patients biopsies were taken from antral and corpus mucosa, except from the lesser curvature, and histological examinations were done. Superficial inflammatory changes were found in 52.2% of all speciments taken from the corpus and in 64.9% taken from the antrum; atrophic gastritis was found in 2.6% of corpus biopsies and in 10.0% of antral biopsies. Normal findings were obtained in 47.3% of corpus specimens and in 25.7% of antral specimens. It is evident, that inflammatory changes are far more frequent in the antral than in the corpus mucosa. Changes in both areas increase with age. Our findings in regard to atrophic gastritis are different from those obtained by Siurala; this difference needs further explanation.