Gastritis polyposa in a gastroenterostomy anastomosis.

Review of the literature finds a strong point made for polyps of the stomach to be considered as "sentinels" of malignancy. The controversy over the transformation of gastric polyps into malignant tumors is coming to an end. Apparently, everyone agrees with a high incidence of malignant transformation in adenomatous polyps. The recent case report by Papp and Joseph of a hyperplastic polyp with malignant changes, seems to demonstrate that all polyps can undergo neoplastic transformation. We believe that every gastrectomized patient should be gastroscoped once a year, even with an absence of symptoms or lack of x-ray findings. Any polyp, adenomatous or hyperplastic, should be removed endoscopically and studied histopathologically for possible association with or development of carcinoma.