GASTRIC PATHOLOGY

This article focuses on four areas of gastric mucosal disease that att ract considerable attention because they are new or because of therape utic implications: mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, gastric dysplasia, gastropathy, and lymphocytic gastritis. The main emphasis is on mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas because their pathol ogy has been and is being recharacterized and because some cases regre ss dramatically with eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori. Mole cular markers are being used to define these lesions, and future studi es will probably further stratify them along lines that will better pr edict response to therapy. Gastric dysplasia is uncommon in North Amer ica, and therefore, when it is encountered as an isolated lesion, it g enerates anxiety in relation to management. Gastropathies and lymphocy tic gastritis are types of gastric mucosal injury that used to be lump ed together as ''gastritis.'' Their appearances are sufficiently diffe rent, however, and they can be linked closely with some defined clinic al conditions.