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621
and nonerosive gastritis was found in diagnosed if congestion and submu- oid pattern with the nodular segments
seven patients. Three of these seven cosal hemorrhage were seen during measuring more than 4 mm in diame-
patients had superficial gastritis, and endoscopy. Moderate gastritis was ter. A prominent areae gastricae pat-
four had atrophic gastritis. diagnosed if friability was marked tern that consisted of smooth and
Diagnosis of erosive/hemorrhagic and/or some erosions were present. nonenlarged segments was not con-
gastritis is primarily based on the en- Severe gastritis was diagnosed if dif- sidered abnormal.
doscopic appearance of the stomach. fuse mucosal bleeding was present The final radiographic diagnosis was
Biopsies are performed in these cases and/or multiple erosions were seen. Of compared with the endoscopic and
only to exclude a specific form of gas- 68 patients, 50 had mild gastritis, 16 histologic diagnoses; and the sensitiv-
tritis such as sarcoidosis. In our patients had moderate gastritis, and two had ity, specificity, and accuracy of the ra-
erosive gastritis was diagnosed if severe gastritis. diographic method were assessed. The
multiple erosions, which are superfi- Gastric changes were considered a radiographs were analyzed for ade-
cial shallow defects that do not pene- major clinical problem in 36% of these quacy of examination and for the fol-
trate the gastric muscularis mucosae, patients, an associated clinical but im- lowing radiographic features: width of
were seen during endoscopy (6, 14). portant problem in another 42%, and lumen; appearance of gastric folds and
These erosions frequently were asso- an incidental finding without any margins; and presence or absence of
ciated with inflammatory changes, and clinical significance in 22% of the pa- polypoid filling defects, erosions, and
histological examination of biopsy tients with gastritis. Treatment was abnormal areae gastricae. The useful-
specimens showed infiltrates of mu!- changed for 62% of these patients be- ness of the different radiographic signs
tiple polymorphonuclear leukocytes. cause of the radiographic diagnosis of for diagnosing gastritis also was de-
Hemorrhagic gastritis, which is the gastritis. termined. Because the slight differ-
hemorrhagic variant of erosive gastri- The radiographic examination of the ences in interpretation of the various
tis, was diagnosed endoscopically if stomach was performed as a biphasic examinations between the two inde-
either multiple punctate areas of study. A DC examination was per- pendent radiologists did not vary sig-
hemorrhage or diffusely bleeding formed followed by an SC examination nificantly, they are not reported
friable mucosa were present (5). with compression. Glucagon was not here.
Diagnosis of nonerosive nonspecific used routinely during this investiga-
gastritis is primarily based on histo- tion: only ten patients received 0.1 mg
RESULTS
logical evidence. Superficial gastritis glucagon before the examination. After
was diagnosed in our study if inflam- the examination was completed, the Among the 68 patients with gastritis,
matory cells that were predominantly radiographs obtained at both exami- we obtained a mean sensitivity of 58%
confined to the lamina propria near the nations (views of the stomach in su- with the SC examination and of 72%
gastric pit region were present. The pine, LPO and RPO positions, two with the DC examination when all ra-
gland zone was intact in these cases. views of antrum in the LPO position, diographs were analyzed, and these
Atrophic gastritis was diagnosed his- and two upright views of the fundus) percentages rose to 59% for SC radiog-
tologically if infiltrates of inflamma- were separated from one another, raphy and 77% for the DC radiography
tory cells into the gland zone and loss coded, and interpreted separately and if only adequate examinations were
of glands of variable degrees were seen blindly by two independent radiolo- included in the analysis. There was a
(6). Endoscopically atrophic gastritis gists. Included in this group of radio- statistically significant difference be-
was characterized by a pale mucosa graphs were those of normal stomachs tween the sensitivity of the two meth-
with a shiny surface and the prominant and of the stomachs with abnormalities ods (P = .015), but not between ade-
submucosal pattern of vessels (15, other than gastritis. quate or all examinations within each
16). Radiographically the diagnosis of method (P > 0.05)(Student’s T-test, Chi
Hypertrophic gastritis was charac- gastritis was made if erosions were square). The respective sensitivities of
terized endoscopically by nodular seen in the stomach and/or if at least SC and DC examinations for mild gas-
thickened mucosal folds associated two of the following radiographic tritis were 53% and 70%, and they rose
with congestion and swelling, and it features were present: narrowed to 60% and 74% respectively, for mod-
was frequently accompanied by ero- lumen; abnormal gastric folds; serrated, erate to severe disease.
sions and hemorrhage. At histological flattened, or crenulated margins; Among the 23 patients with normal
examination, inflammatory cells and polypoid filling defects; and abnormal stomachs, we found a mean specificity
an increased mucosal thickness of the (coarse) areae gastricae. The radio- of 59% for SC radiography and 55% for
surface cells were observed (17, 18). graphic diagnosis therefore was based DC radiography if all examinations
The terms “acute” and “chronic” are on a subjective impression using these were included and of 61% for SC ex-
not used to describe gastritis in our radiographic signs as indicators. In a aminations and 54% for DC examina-
group of patients because these terms well distended stomach, rugal folds tions if only adequate examinations
indicate only the histologic presence of that were scalloped or nodular were were included. There was no statisti-
acute signs of inflammation (poly- diagnosed as abnormal in any part of cally significant difference in the
morphonuclear leukocytes) or signs of the stomach. Persistence of rugal folds specificity between the two methods (P
chronic inflammation (plasma cells and in the antrum despite adequate dis- > 0.05). The overall accuracy for the SC
lymphocytes), not the duration of the tention of the stomach was considered examinations amounted to 57% for all
disease, and they often cause confu- abnormal regardless of their appear- and 59% for adequate examinations
sion. ance. Serrated margins were charac- only. Almost all false-positive results
Radiographically only three terized by very small irregularities of were diagnosed based on only one or
subgroups of gastritis were distin- the gastric walls (Fig. 1), and crenulated two radiographic features of gastritis.
guished: nonerosive, erosive, and hy- margins were characterized by larger The overall accuracy for DC radiogra-
pertrophic gastritis. undulating margins. The areae gastri- phy was 67% for all and 70% for ade-
Arbitarily three grades of histologi- cae were determined to be abnormal if quate examinations only. There was a
cally confirmed gastritis were defined they were “coarse.” A coarse areae statistically significant difference be-
endoscopically: mild, moderate, and gastricae pattern was defined as an ir- tween the overall accuracy of the two
severe gastritis. Mild gastritis was regular, mesh-like, nodular or polyp- methods (P = 0.044), but not between
622 Radiology
#{149} September 1983
2.
1. Serrated and flattened gastric margins (straight arrows) with persistent narrowing of the antrum are seen on this SC image of a patient with
moderate hemorrhagic gastritis. Thickened folds (curved arrows) are also present in the proximal antrum.
2. Nodular filling defects (arrows) and irregular narrowing of the antrum are noted on this SC image of a patient with moderate-to-severe
erosive gastritis. Erosions were not identified on the radiographs.
4.
3. A compression radiograph of the antrum obtained during the SC examination demonstrates thickened nodular folds (straight
arrows) and nodular filling defects, some of which show erosions (curved arrows), in a patient with moderate-to-severe erosive
gastritis. The collection of barium (open arrow) is artifact.
4. Nodular folds (curved arrows) and persistence of crenulated margins (straight arrows) in the area of the lesser curvature
on this DC image indicate the presence of inflammatory changes in the antrum of a patient with hemorrhagic gastritis.
accuracy for adequate and all exami- and coarse areae gastricae pattern were 5 and 6), and erosions (Fig. 7) were
nations. the least useful radiographic features. useful features, and they led only
For all three types of gastritis (ero- Demonstration by both the SC and DC rarely to false-positive results (TABLE
sive / hemorrhagic nonspeci fic, non- techniques of thin folds was specific for 1).
erosive nonspecific, and specific hy- atrophic gastritis, and demonstration
DISCUSSION
pertrophic gastritis) the sensitivity of of persistent scalloped or nodular folds
the DC technique for detecting gastritis in the fundus and body was specific for Most of our 68 patients with gastritis
was higher than that of the SC method. hypertrophic gastritis. Lack of dem- had a mild form of the disease. Only a
The difference in the respective sensi- onstration by the DC technique of few patients with severe gastritis were
tivities of the two methods was largest polypoid filling defects in the antrum included in our study because patients
for detecting atrophic gastritis (43% for was specific for nonerosive nonspecific with severe gastritis often present with
SC examinations and 83% for DC ex- gastritis. The remaining radiographic acute bleeding (14), and they undergo
aminations), and smallest for detecting features demonstrated by both tech- endoscopy initially after stabilization.
hypertrophic gastritis (88% for SC ex- niques were not specific for any par- Most of these patients therefore are not
aminations and 94% for DC examina- ticular type of gastritis. candidates for a radiographic exami-
tions). The sensitivity for detecting When the radiographic features of nation when their gastritis is in the
erosive/hemorrhagic gastritis was 55% abnormal folds, serrated or crenulated acute state. Because treatment is insti-
for SC examinations and 68% for DC or flattened gastric margins, narrowing tuted immediately, these patients often
examinations. Among the cases of hy- of the lumen, abnormal areae gastricae, undergo SC or DC examinations only
pertrophic gastritis, abnormal folds in polypoid defects, and erosions were after several days of treatment for gas-
the body and fundus and to a lesser analyzed in the correctly diagnosed tritis, and the acute inflammatory
degree also in the antrum were seen cases of gastritis, it was found that only changes are then less severe. Our
equally well by both methods. Among 7% of the diagnoses were based on one group therefore is representative of the
the four patients with atrophic gastri- single feature, 36% were based on two incidence of the different grades of
tis, lack of distensibility of the stomach features, 36% were based on three fea- gastritis routinely evaluated by radi-
(“tubular stomach”) was observed in tures, 18% were based on four features, ography.
only one patient by each method, but and 3% were based on five or more Our results show a statistically sig-
abnormally thin folds were seen in two features. For the SC method, abnormal nificant difference between the sensi-
patients by the SC method and in three folds, flattened margins (Fig. 1), poly- tivities of SC and DC examinations for
patients by the DC method. poid defects (Fig. 2) and erosions (Fig. detecting gastritis. The overall sensi-
For the SC technique, narrowing of 3) were useful radiographic features, tivities for SC (58%) and DC (72%) ra-
the lumen and abnormal margins were and they led only rarely to false-posi- diography and the sensitivities for
the least useful radiographic signs. For tive results. For the DC technique, detecting erosive gastritis alone (55%
the DC technique, abnormal folds in narrowing of the lumen, crenulated for SC and 68% for DC examinations)
the body and/or fundus of the stomach margins (Fig. 4), polypoid defects (Figs. are much higher than those reported
624 Radiology
#{149} September 1983
7. Multiple complete or varioliform erosions (arrows) are seen on the DC image of a patient with erosive gastritis.
8. A coarse and irregular pattern of the areae gastricae is identified on a DC image of a patient with nonerosive superficial gastritis. Erosive
duodenitis (arrows) also can be identified.
by Ott et al. (1 1) who found a sensitivity TABLE I: Incidence of Radiographic Features of Gastritis Seen by SC and DC
of 24% for SC and 43% for DC radiog- Examinations
raphy in detecting erosive gastritis. A
Incidence (‘U
direct comparison of the report by Ott Gastritis Normal Stomach
et al. (11) and our study is difficult be- Features SC DC SC DC
cause not all the signs that we used
Abnormal folds 24 37 11 28
were analyzed in their investigation. In
Margins serrated 22 14 22 13
our investigation, we had a high Margins flattened 8 3 0 0
number of false-positive findings for Crenulated margins 22 15 24 4
Narrowing of lumen 39 29 30 Il
both techniques, and there was no
Areae gastricae abnormal 1 12 0 13
statistical difference between those Polypoid defects 7 10 2 2
values for each technique. In our search Erosions 4 30 0 4
of the literature we did not find any
investigation that has analyzed the rate
of false-positive findings in radio-
graphic examinations of gastritis. One tract if 0.1 mg of glucagon was injected to a diagnosis of gastritis based on one
paper (19), while not specifying the intravenously (20). or two features, and this false-positive
radiographic technique used, did con- The sensitivity of each method result usually was related to increased
sider the radiographic examination sometimes was impaired by technical secretion and poor coating with barium.
useless for diagnosing gastritis, except problems, including the presence of a Occasionally, barium in the small
when findings of the radiographic ex- large amount of secretion, blood clots, bowel obscured the antrum, which
amination were negative, which was muscle spasm, or an inadequate film- most frequently is the site of gastritis
deemed to be clinically important. Our exposure technique. During a review (1, 5), and mimicked erosions.
results contradict this belief in that a of the false-negative results, we found We found no radiographic sign that
false-negative finding of gastritis was that many subtle changes such as was specifically diagnostic of any par-
rare with the DC technique, particu- coarse areae gastricae or small erosions, ticular type of gastritis, with the ex-
larly if a moderate or severe form of particularly the incomplete type, could ception of thickened, nodular and
gastritis was present. However, if the be identified retrospectively. We also scalloped folds for diagnosing hyper-
diagnosis was based on one or two ra- found that the use of magnification trophic gastritis, and thin folds for
diographic features, the false-positive lenses to examine the radiographs im- diagnosing atrophic gastritis. How-
findings were too high in either tech- proved sensitivity markedly. However, ever, the number of patients in the
nique to make the technique reliable. many of the changes (such as submu- subgroups for specific and nonerosive
Our results might have been im- cosal hemorrhage) were too superficial nonspecific gastritis in our investiga-
proved for both methods if glucagon to be detected radiographically, even tion is not large enough to make a final
had been used routinely. In an un- with faultless technique. This fact conclusion. For the SC method we
published study we found marked contributed to the higher rates of found that abnormal folds and flat-
improvement of the sensitivity of DC false-negative findings associated with tened gastric margins (Fig. 1) in the
radiography for detecting superficial the mild forms of gastritis. area of the lesser curvature were gen-
lesions in the upper gastrointestinal False-positive results invariably led erally good diagnostic criteria for gas-
626 Radiology
#{149} September 1983