Gastric stump mucosa: is there a risk for carcinoma?

Abstract

Background - Patients who underwent partial gastric resections are at an increased risk for the development of cancer in the gastric remnant. Aim - To assess the long-term patients who underwent surgical treatment for peptic ulcer disease through endoscopic and pathologic evaluation of the gastric stump mucosal alterations. Patients and Methods - Between 1987 and 1990, 154 patients (mean = 20.4 years after gastrectomy) were evaluated by upper digestive endoscopy with multiple biopsies and pathological examination. Results - Endoscopic alterations were present in 111 patients (72.1%). The commonest pathologic alterations were foveolar hyperplasia, intestinal metaplasia and cystic dilation. Severe dysplasia was noted in two (1.25%) and carcinoma in 13 (8.4%) of the cases. In four patients (3.8%) the endoscopic findings did not show any evidence of tumors, however they were detected due to multiple biopsies and histologic studies. Conclusions - Surveillance of these patients with endoscopy and multiple biopsies may provide the means to diagnose tumors at an early stage, but the cost benefit ratio of surveillance requires further study.

Keywords

• Gastrectomy
• Stomach neoplasms/diagnosis
• Gastric stump
• Peptic ulcer
• surgery