24/08/2025
🌟 Gastritis – High-Yield Overview
🧾 Definition
🔹 Gastritis = inflammation of the gastric mucosa (biopsy proven, not just “redness” on endoscopy).
🔬 Types & Pathophysiology
🟥 Acute Gastritis
• 🚨 Neutrophilic infiltration + edema + hyperemia.
• 🧪 Causes: H. pylori, NSAIDs, alcohol, severe stress.
• ⚡ Can cause erosions, bleeding.
🟦 Chronic Gastritis
• 🧩 Lymphocytes + plasma cells → persistent inflammation.
• 🟡 Type A (Autoimmune)
• Targets parietal cells.
• Leads to achlorhydria, ↓ intrinsic factor → pernicious anemia (B12 deficiency).
• 🟢 Type B (H. pylori-related)
• Begins in antrum → spreads to pangastritis.
• Progression 🔄: Inflammation → Atrophy → Intestinal metaplasia → Dysplasia → Carcinoma.
👩⚕️ Clinical Features
💤 Often silent or nonspecific.
🤢 Acute: epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, hematemesis/melena.
🩸 Chronic autoimmune: anemia (fatigue, glossitis, neuropathy).
⚠️ Complications:
• Peptic ulcers
• GI bleeding
• Gastric adenocarcinoma
• Gastric MALT lymphoma
🔍 Investigations
🔬 Biopsy = Gold standard.
📸 Endoscopy: mucosal redness ≠ gastritis.
🧪 H. pylori testing: urea breath, stool antigen, biopsy urease.
🧬 Autoimmune markers: anti-parietal cell, anti–intrinsic factor Abs.
📅 Surveillance: Endoscopy every 3 yrs if atrophic gastritis + intestinal metaplasia.
💊 Management
🟥 Acute Gastritis
• 🚫 Stop NSAIDs/alcohol.
• 💊 PPIs or H2 blockers.
• 🛡️ ICU/stress prophylaxis: PPIs > H2 blockers.
🟦 Chronic Gastritis
• 🦠 H. pylori: Eradication therapy (PPI + antibiotics).
• 🧃 Autoimmune: lifelong parenteral B12.
• 🔎 Surveillance for cancer if atrophy/metaplasia.
🟩 MALT lymphoma
• 🌟 Eradicate H. pylori → often remission.
• 📌 Resistant cases → oncology therapy.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
❌ Calling endoscopic erythema “gastritis” without biopsy.
❌ Assuming dyspepsia = gastritis.
❌ Forgetting H. pylori eradication.
❌ Missing lifelong B12 therapy in autoimmune gastritis.
❌ Ignoring cancer risk in chronic atrophic gastritis.
: Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 22nd Edition