Correlation of gastric ulcer healing features by endoscopy, stereoscopic microscopy, and histology, and a reclassification of the epithelial regenerative process.

Four stages of gastric ulcer healing have been established by correlating endoscopic findings with those obtained from stereoscopic microscopy and histologic observations: I. initial healing stage; II. proliferative healing stage; III. palisade scar stage; IV. cobblestone scar stage. The palisade scar and cobble stone scar stages roughly correspond to Sakita's red and white scar stages, respectively. It is suggested that healing is not complete until the cobblestone stage with attendant micropit formation is achieved.