Does cholecystectomy affect antral mucosa? Endoscopic, histopathologic and DNA flow cytometric study.
OBJECTIVE
Although cholecystectomy is still the "gold standard" for treatment of gallstones, this operation may be followed by gastric disorders. The aim of this study is to detect the effects of cholecystectomy on gastric antral mucosa.


METHODS
This prospective study has been carried out on 46 patients (20 M & 26 F) with mean age 41.7 +/- 0.2 years for whom simple cholecystectomy for gallstones was decided. Prior to the operation and 1 year after, patients were subjected to the following: clinical assessment, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, histopathology of antral mucosa, detection of H. pylori and DNA flow cytometry.


RESULTS
There was an increase in the number of patients presenting suggestive symptoms of reflux gastritis: patients experiencing epigastric pain increased from 8 (17.4%) to 11 (23.39%) patients, nausea increased from 6 (13%) to 12 (26.1%) patients and bilious vomiting increased from 3 (6.5%) to 11 (23.9%) patients. Mild antral gastritis increased from 20 (43.5%) to 27 (58.7%) patients. Antral gastritis and antral erosions were detected only after the operation in 8 (17.4%) and 2 (4.3%) patients, respectively. The incidence of active chronic superficial gastritis decreased from 23 (50%) to 13 (28.2%) patients while the inactive form increased from 15 (32.6%) to 23 (50%) patients. Chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia were only detected postoperatively in 2 (4.3%) patients each. There was a decrease in the incidence of H. pylori infection from 32 (69.6) to 19 (41.3%) patients. DNA aneuploid pattern increased from 1 (2.2%) to 4 (8.7%) patients and there was a significant increase of DNA index from 1.01 (+/- 0.03) to 1.03 (+/- 0.05) (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in clinical, endoscopic and histopathologic findings suggest that cholecystectomy may affect gastric antral mucosa due to duodenogastric reflux. Flow cytometry may be used as an objective method for detection and evaluation of postcholecystectomy reflux gastritis.
Abdel-Wahab
M
M
Gastroenterology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt.
Abo-Elenein
A
A
Fathy
O
O
Gadel-Hak
N
N
Elshal
M F
MF
Yaseen
A
A
Sultan
A
A
el-Ghawalby
N
N
Ezzat
F
F
D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011003:Ploidies; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011706:Pyloric Antrum