Phlegmonous gastritis: clinical presentation and surgical management.

Phlegmonous gastritis is an acute inflammatory process of the stomach clinically characterized by acute localized noncolicky epigastric pain, purulent vomiting, fever, and leukocytosis. The disease often occurs in patients with preexisting gastric abnormalities or in the elderly and is easily confused radiologically with infiltrating gastric carcinoma. The mortality exceeds that of any other nonmalignant gastric affliction. Intensive antibiotic therapy followed by early gastric resection is the recommended treatment.