title: Change of mucosal color in early gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between mucosal color change and the characteristics of early gastric cancer (EGC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of consecutive patients with EGC resected between August 2005 and October 2010 at Konkuk University Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively. The characteristics of EGC relative to mucosal color change were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whitish discoloration of the cancer was linked to female to male gender ratio (P = 0.009), large tumor size (P < 0.001), deep invasion (P = 0.046) and depressed contours (P < 0.001) compared with EGC without discoloration or with hyperemic change. In addition, a whitish discoloration was also related to signet ring cell carcinoma (P < 0.001) and diffuse type carcinoma based on Lauren's classification (P < 0.001). On multiple linear regression analysis, diffuse type based on Lauren's classification (P = 0.017) and depth of invasion (P = 0.003) were significant independent factors for whitish discoloration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mucosal color change is an important clue in the diagnosis of EGC. EGC with whitish discoloration needs more attention due to its link with the diffuse type of Lauren's classification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hak Hyun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyeon Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sung Noh
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jeong Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Hyung Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chan Sup
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hye Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010641:Phenotype; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins