Gastric polyps on routine double-contrast examination of the stomach

Gastric polyps were found in 38 patients in a series of 2,420 consecutive double-contrast studies of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The resulting incidence of 1.6% is four times the highest figure previously reported. Single polyps were usually located in the antrum, multiple polyps in the body of fundus. Two-thirds were less than or equal to 10 mm in diameter; only one was larger than 20 mm. Endoscopy was performed in 17 cases and showed either normal or inflamed gastric mucosa with no evidence of neoplasia. It is likely that most gastric polyps are inflammatory or hyperplastic, while the biopsies showing normal mucosa may represent small submucosal tumors such as leiomyomas. This study demonstrates the high frequency and innocuous nature of small gastric polyps.