Gastric polyps: the case for polypectomy and endoscopic surveillance.

Thirty-two patients with gastric polyps and a mean follow-up period of 18 months were analysed. The principal presentation was epigastric pain accompanied at times by haematemesis or melaena. As in other series, the hyperplastic polyps (21 cases) predominated, followed by the adenomatous type (six patients). Endoscopy was an effective first-line investigative method for 21 patients and for a further five who had initial false negative barium studies. Gastric polypectomy was performed for 60% of patients without any complications. There was discrepancy between the biopsy material and polypectomy specimen in five of seven patients who were recalled for snaring. Although no polyp in this series turned malignant, one diffuse polyposis patient developed linitis plastica after 4.5 years of follow-up. Hence, for reasons of recurrence, new polypoid growths and development of gastric cancer, long-term surveillance is indicated.