Changing prevalence patterns in endoscopic and histological diagnosis of gastritis? Data from a cross-sectional Central European multicentre study.
OBJECTIVE
Traditionally, Helicobacter infection is considered to be the most common cause of gastritis. In the cross-sectional Central European histoGERD trial, we assessed the prevalence of different types of gastritis, correlating histological and endoscopic diagnoses.


METHODS
A total of 1123 individuals participated in an observational multicentre study. Endoscopists classified individuals as positive or negative for gastritis and rendered the putative cause. Pathologists evaluated biopsy specimens based upon the Updated Sydney System.


RESULTS
Histological diagnosis of gastritis was made in 639 (56.9%) participants. In all, 210 (18.7%) individuals were diagnosed with Helicobacter gastritis, 215 (19.1%) with post Helicobacter gastritis, 234 (20.8%) with reactive gastropathy, 26 (2.3%) with autoimmune gastritis, and 6 (0.5%) with focally enhanced gastritis related to Crohn's disease. In 46 out of 639 (7.2%) individuals diagnosed with gastritis, combinations of different histological subtypes were noted the most common being reactive gastropathy and post Helicobacter gastritis. Endoscopic diagnosis of gastritis was made in 534 (47.6%) individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
Reactive gastropathy was more common than active Helicobacter gastritis, and the majority of cases attributable to Helicobacter infection were no longer ongoing, i.e. post Helicobacter gastritis. Agreement between histological and endoscopic diagnoses was better in reactive gastropathy than in Helicobacter gastritis.
Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Eva-Maria
EM
Wolf
Department of Internal Medicine, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder, Academic Teaching Hospital, St. Veit/Glan, Austria.
Wolfgang
W
Plieschnegger
Private Practice, Bayreuth, Germany.
Michael
M
Geppert
Private Practice, Osnabrück, Germany.
Bernd
B
Wigginghaus
Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Gabriele M
GM
Höss
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Andreas
A
Eherer
Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Nora I
NI
Schneider
Department of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Almuthe
A
Hauer
Department of Surgery, Research Unit for Biomedical Engineering & Computing, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Peter
P
Rehak
Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
Michael
M
Vieth
Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: cord.langner@medunigraz.at.
Cord
C
Langner
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors
Epidemiology; Gastropathy; Helicobacter gastritis; Intestinal metaplasia; Reflux gastritis