[Chronic gastritis in children (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Histopathology
• Endoscopy

Background:

• Gastric mucosa biopsies were analyzed in 113 children (6 months-14 years).
• Patients were grouped by abdominal pain (Group A) or extragastric pathology (Group B, controls).

Purpose of the Study:

• To histopathologically evaluate gastric mucosa in children.
• To correlate endoscopic findings with chronic gastritis.
• To assess acid secretion in relation to gastritis severity.

Main Methods:

• Multiple endoscopic biopsies were taken from 113 children.
• Histopathological analysis followed Whitehead's criteria.
• Acid secretion studies (basal, maximal) were performed using pentagastrin stimulation.

Main Results:

• Chronic gastritis lesions were found in 48 of 97 children with abdominal pain.
• Specific endoscopic features correlated with histological gastritis in the gastric body and antrum.
• Advanced gastritis in the gastric body was associated with significantly lowered basal and maximal acid output.

Conclusions:

• Chronic gastritis is a significant finding in pediatric gastrointestinal pathology.
• Endoscopic visualization can predict histological gastritis.
• Gastritis severity impacts gastric acid secretion in children.