Atrophic Gastritis

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Clinic

  • Atrophic gastritis is a process of chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa of stomach, leading to a loss of gastric glandular cells and their eventual replacement by intestinal and fibrous tissues
  • As a result, the stomach's secretion of essential substances such as hydrochloric acid, pepsin, and intrinsic factor is impaired, leading to digestive problems. The most common are vitamin B12 deficiency possibly leading to pernicious anemia; and malabsorption of iron, leading to iron deficiency anaemia.
  • Atrophic gastritis can be caused by persistent infection with Helicobacter pylori, or can be autoimmune.

Two types

  • Type A gastritis: Autoimmune atrophic gastritis which affects the fundus (body) of stomach and is more common with pernicious anemia.
  • Type B gastritis primarily affects the antrum, and is more common with H. pylori infection.


Atrophy vs Autoimmune gastritis

  • Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is a chronic inflammatory disease with destruction of parietal cells of the corpus and fundus of the stomach. The known consequence is vitamin B12 deficiency and, consequently, pernicious anemia. AIG is statistically more likely to develop gastric carcinoma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and achlorhydria.
  • Atrophic gastritis (AG) is a chronic inflammation and thinning of your stomach lining. In addition, the cells in your stomach lining mimic intestinal cells.
  • One type of atrophic gastritis, known as Environmental Metaplastic Atrophic Gastritis (EMAG), occurs when environmental factors cause chronic inflammation
  • Chronic atrophic gastritis is not synonymous with AIG.
  • Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) is a chronic disease that affects the corpus-fundus of stomach, and is characterized by the development two types of auto-antibodies: anti-parietal cells antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies


Signs / Symptoms

  • Asymptomatic
  • Iron deficiency: fatigue, restless legs syndrome, brittle nails, hair loss, impaired immune function, and impaired wound healing.
  • Delayed gastric emptying (80%)
  • Reflux symptoms (25%)
  • Peripheral neuropathy (25%)
  • Autonomic abnormalities
  • Memory loss (1%–2%)
  • Other psychiatric disorders are also reported, such as mania, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychosis and cognitive impairment.

Related diseases

  • Gastric adenocarcinoma
  • Recent research has shown that autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis (AMAG) is a result of the immune system attacking the parietal cells.
  • Environmental metaplastic atrophic gastritis (EMAG) is due to environmental factors, such as diet and H. pylori infection.
  • EMAG is typically confined to the body of the stomach. Patients with EMAG are also at increased risk of gastric carcinoma.