Chronic inactive gastritis

by Jason Wasserman MD PhD FRCPC
March 7, 2023


What is chronic inactive gastritis?

Chronic inactive gastritis means inflammation of the lining on the inside of the stomach. The inflammation prevents the stomach from functioning normally by damaging the specialized foveolar cells that cover the inside surface of the stomach.

What is the difference between active and inactive chronic gastritis?

Pathologists divide chronic gastritis into active and inactive. Active gastritis means that in addition to chronic inflammation, your pathologist saw ongoing tissue injury or damage. Another term for active gastritis is acute gastritis. In order to make this diagnosis, your pathologist must see specialized immune cells called neutrophils in the mucosa. In contrast, inactive gastritis means that no neutrophils were seen in the mucosa.

What are the symptoms of chronic inactive gastritis?

The most common symptoms of chronic inactive gastritis are abdominal pain (aching or burning) which is worse when the stomach is empty, nausea, bloating, and loss of appetite.

What causes chronic inactive gastritis?

The most common cause of chronic inactive gastritis is an infection of the stomach with a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Infection is more common in rural areas and in the developing parts of the world. Chronic gastritis can also be seen in people who have previously been treated for Helicobacter pylori. Chronic gastritis may persist for months or even years after successful treatment. Other causes of chronic gastritis include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aspirin and Advil, excessive alcohol intake, bile reflux, and autoimmune diseases.

How do pathologists make this diagnosis?

The diagnosis is usually made after a small sample of tissue is removed in a procedure called a biopsy. The tissue is then examined under a microscope by a pathologist. Your pathologist may order additional tests such as immunohistochemistry or special stains to look for Helicobacter pylori.

Chronic inactive gastritis means that your pathologist saw an increased number of specialized immune cells called plasma cells within the lamina propria. Pathologists describe this change as chronic inflammation. The word inactive in the diagnosis means that no specialized immune cells called neutrophils were seen damaging the epithelium. Neutrophils are typically seen shortly after the injury starts and are a sign of ongoing damage.

chronic inactive gastritis
This image shows a stomach with chronic inactive gastritis.
What does intestinal metaplasia mean?

If left untreated, chronic inactive gastritis can damage the foveolar cells that normally cover the inside surface of the stomach. If the damage continues for many years, the foveolar cells will be replaced by specialized cells normally found in a part of the digestive tract called the small intestine. This change is called intestinal metaplasia. If your pathologist sees intestinal metaplasia in the tissue sample, it will be described in your report. Intestinal metaplasia is a non-cancerous change, however, it does increase the risk of developing a type of stomach cancer called adenocarcinoma over time. The risk is higher when another type of change called dysplasia is also seen.

What does dysplasia mean?

Dysplasia is a word pathologists use to describe an abnormal pattern of growth. Like intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia can develop in patients who have had chronic inactive gastritis for many years. Most patients with chronic inactive gastritis will not have dysplasia but when seen it will be described in your report. Pathologists divide dysplasia into low and high based on how abnormal the tissue looks when examined under a microscope. Dysplasia is a precancerous change that increases the risk of developing a type of stomach cancer called adenocarcinoma over time. The risk of cancer is much greater when the dysplasia is described as high grade. Talk to your doctor if dysplasia is seen in your biopsy.

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