A pitfall in the interpretation of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach.

Four cases having vacuolated gastric (pyloric) cells resembling the goblet cells of intestinal metaplasia are presented. Contrary to goblet cells of intestinal metaplasia, the vacuolated pyloric cells in the four cases herein reported were negative for mucus stains. Although the nature of these mucus-free vacuolated gastric cells remains obscure, their occurrence should be considered in studies of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach.