Relationship between pernicious anaemia and gastric neuroendocrine cell disorders

The incidence of gastric carcinoid tumours is increasing. This rise is prob ably due to the number of gastroscopies and improved histological technique s. The majority (65%) of these gastric rumours is associated with chronic a trophic gastritis and pernicious anaemia. Tn this article two patients are presented, one with pernicious anaemia and gastric neuroendocrine cell hype rplasia and one with pernicious anaemia and multiple gastric carcinoids. Th ese neuroendocrine cell disorders have a relatively favourable prognosis. T herefore, a wait-and-see policy was preferred. The pathogenesis, clinical s ymptoms, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of these different neuroendocri ne cell manifestations are discussed. We recommend performing a gastroscopy at the time of diagnosis for young patients with pernicious anaemia, and w henever abdominal problems, unexplained weight loss or aggravation of the a naemia arise. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.