Gastritis overview

Gastritis Microchapters
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Reddy Kothagadi M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

Gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa. The word comes from the Greek gastro- meaning of the stomach and -itis meaning inflammation. Depending on the cause, it may persist acutely or chronically and may coincide with more serious conditions such as atrophy of the stomach.

Historical Perspective

In 1728, a German physician named Georg Ernst Stahl first used the term "gastritis" to describe inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach.

Classification

Classification and grading of Gastritis based on the Updated Sydney System emphasizes the importance of combining topographical, morphological, and etiological information into a schema that would help to generate reproducible and clinically useful diagnoses. In clinical practice, Gastritis staging is done using the OLGA (Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment) staging system for reporting gastric histology. Gastritis staging integrates the atrophy score (obtained by biopsy) and the atrophy topography (achieved through directed biopsy mapping).

Causes

The most common causes of Gastritis include H. pylori infection, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, extended use of NSAIDs and autoimmune gastritis. Less common causes of Gastritis include cocaine addiction, bile reflux, and Crohn's disease.

Differentiating Gastritis overview from Other Diseases

Gastritis must be differentiated from peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastroenteritis and Crohn's disease

Risk Factors

Common risk factors in the development of Gastritis include alcohol, NSAIDs, cocaine, autoimmune gastritis, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS and bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori.

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms

Symptoms of gastritis may be silent or manifest as abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and/or gastrointestinal bleeding.