The Intramucosal Cysts of the Stomach
Abstract
Gastrectomy specimens from 102 Japanese patients with peptic ulcer disease were examined for intramucosal cysts. The number of cysts for each centimeter of mucosa analyzed (cyst index) was calculated. The intramucosal cysts occurred in 90% of the patients. The mean number of cysts in the 102 specimens was 12.3 (SD ± 23.45). The resulting cyst index was 3.4 (SD ±6.6). Earlier studies have demonstrated a signficantly lower cyst index in Swedish patients with peptic ulcer disease. A significantly higher cyst index was found in Japanese and Swedish patients with focal elevated dysplasias and in patients with early gastric cancer. The possibility that some intramucosal cysts of the stomach may be symptomatic of lesions antedating malignant transformation in that organ has been discussed.