Gastroscopic cytology in intestinal metaplasia.

Based on the findings of goblet cells the authors established cytologic criteria for the diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia. With this technique they made the diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia in 79.4% of the cases surgically confirmed, this contrast to endoscopic biopsy with only 35.2%. on the other hand, the cytologic diagnosis of malignancy is obtained in the same series in 92% of 25 gastric cancers against 80% of endoscopic biopsy. Among the controls surgically verified there was no cytologic false positive neither for malignancy nor for the diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia. The authors believe that any case with signs of malignancy and intestinal metaplasia may have a better preoperative prognosis.