The double?contrast upper gastrointestinal(UGI) examination is an effective means of clearly demonstrating complete erosions seen in verrucose gastritis.
The main radiographic feature of the complete erosion is a small barium fleck surrounded by a radiolucent halo in the gastric mucosa.
From Jan. 1984 to Jun. 1986, a total of 41 cases of verrucose gastritis was diagnosed by double?contrast upper gastrointestinal examinations, and then 11 cases among them underwent endoscopy within 6 days of UGI examinations.
For evaluation of the relationship of diameters of radiolucent halos to the central barium flecks, the radiographic. Findings were reviewed.
Analyzing the radiographic and clinical findings, following results were obtained.
1. The male to female ratio was 16:25.
The age of patients ranged from 15 to 76 years, and the most common age group was 6th decade.
2. The clinical symptoms included epigastralgia(68% of patients), indigestion(29%), hunger pain(27%), and vomiting(15%).
3. Thirteen coexistent diseases were found in 11 patients(27%) : gastric ulcer in 4 patients, duodenal ulcer in 3, gastric cancer in 3, liver cirrhosis in 2, and hepatoma in one.
4. The gastric antrum was involved in all cases. Gastric body also was involved in 8 cases, and duodenal bulb in 2 cases.
5. In all cases there were multiple complete erosions: the number of erosion were 2 to 10 in 80% of cases.
The radiographic findings of 289 complete erosions in the 41 cases were analyzed :
1) The diameter of surrounding halos varied from 3 to 11 mm, and the central barium flecks from 0 (No central fleck) to 5mm.
The shape of central barium fleck was round in 70% of complete erosions.
2) In general, the small central barium flecks had small surrounding ha-
los, and large ones large halos(correlation coefficient r=0.96). But
with the enlargement of central barium flecks, the ratios of diameters
of surrounding halos to size of central barium flecks tended to decr-
ease by degrees.
It appears that in the formation of a surrounding mucosal elevation(radiolucent halo) of a complete erosion the existence of a mucosal defect is more important than the size of a mucosal defect.
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