Abstract
Gastric antral vascular ectasia was endoscopically diagnosed in seven patients. Pathologic characteristics of this entity were defined retrospectively, by studying endoscopic pinch biopsy slides from these seven patients and antrectomy specimens from five patients. A scoring system was developed, and the seven patients were compared prospectively with various control groups. Abnormalities of mucosal vessels (fibrin thrombi and/or ectasia) consistently distinguished patients from control antrectomies, normal biopsies, acute gastritis biopsies and atrophic gastritis biopsies (P=0.02, all comparisons). Spindle cell proliferation into mucosa also was characteristic of gastric antral vascular ectasia, distinguishing this disease from normals, acute gastritis, and atrophic gastritis (P≤0.039, each comparison). The presence of abnormal mucosal vessels (fibrin thrombi and/or ectasia) and spindle cell proliferation was similar in patient antrectomies compared to patient endoscopic biopsies. Therefore, we conclude that endoscopic biopsies can reliably diagnose gastric antral vascular ectasia, a vascular disorder characterized by abnormal mucosal vessels and spindle cell proliferation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rider JA, Klotz AP, Kirsner JB: Gastritis with veno-capillary ectasia as a source of massive gastric hemorrhage. Gastroenterology 24:118–123, 1953
Jabbari M, Cherry R, Lough JO, Daly DS, Kinnear DG, Goresky CA: Gastric antral vascular ectasia: The watermelon stomach. Gastroenterology 87:1165–1170, 1984
Wheeler MH, Smith PM, Cotton PB, Evans DMD, Lawrie BW: Abnormal blood vessels in the gastric antrum. Dig Dis Sci 24:155–158, 1979
Van Vliet ACM, ten Kate FJW, Dees J, van Blankenstein M: Abnormal blood vessels of the prepyloric antrum in cirrhosis of the liver as a cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopy 10:89–94, 1978
Allende HO, Ona FV, Noronha AI: Bleeding gastric telangiectasia. Am J Gastroenterol 75:354–356, 1981
Calam J, Walker RJ: Antral vascular lesion, achlorhydria, and chronic gastrointestinal blood loss-response to steroids. Dig Dis Sci 25:236–239, 1980
Kruger R, Ryan ME, Dickson KB, Nunez JF: Diffuse vascular ectasia of the gastric antrum. Am J Gastroenterol 82:421–426, 1987
Borsch G: Diffuse gastric antral vascular ectasia: the “watermelon stomach” revisited. Am J Gastroenterol 82:1333–1334, 1987 (letter)
Gilliam JH, Geisinger KR, Wu WC, Richter JE, Scharyj M: The clinicopathologic findings in gastric antral vascular ectasia. Am J Gastroenterol 80:840, 1985
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gilliam, J.H., Geisinger, K.R., Wu, W.C. et al. Endoscopic biopsy is diagnostic in gastric antral vascular ectasia. Digest Dis Sci 34, 885–888 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540274
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540274