[Studies on analysis of gastric mucosal blood flow by electronic endoscopic image. Especially on atrophic gastritis]

The electronic endoscopic image of gastric mucosa was converted by image processing unit SP-1000 (A/D changed) into the one, which was treated with the color conversion method to measure the gastric mucosal hemoglobin index (Hb-index: HI). At the same time, biopsy specimens of gastric mucosa were removed from such 4 different sites as antrum lesser curvature, lower body lesser curvature, lower body anterior wall and upper body posterior wall. On pathohistological examination, the author observed the inflammatory cell infiltration, mucin production, the number and diameter of blood vessels, the degree of atrophic changes in gastric mucosa. HI values were compared with histological findings and with the degree of endoscopic appearance of blood vessel in the lower body lesser curvature. The following results were obtained. HI values were lower in the group with higher inflammatory cell infiltration and less mucin production, while the values were higher in the group with more numerous vessels and larger size ones in diameter. In the group with higher degrees of the pathohistological atrophic change and the endoscopic appearance of blood vessel, HI showed lower values.