Histological appearances of the gastric mucosa 15--27 years after partial gastrectomy.

Sixty-three patients, who had had a partial gastrectomy 15--27 years previously, were examined by endoscopy and multiple mucosal biopsies. No patient had a completely normal gastric mucosa; they showed varying degrees of gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia: 21% had significant dysplasia, and these are regarded as an 'at-risk' group requiring frequent follow-up examinations. One patient had severe dysplasia (carcinoma-in-situ), but no case of infiltrating carcinoma was found.