Intramucosal gastric cysts simulating submucosal cysts.

A total of 2.004 sections from 41 gastrectomy specimens were reviewed for the presence of submucosal cysts. In nine of the gastrectomy specimens, cysts were found protruding into the submucosal space (in one specimen, two such cysts were found). All ten cysts were seen surrounded by the muscularis mucosae, even those without any apparent connection with the mucosa. Deeper cuts of the paraffin blocks demonstrated a continuity between the muscle fibres surrounding the cysts and the muscularis mucosae. A gap in the muscularis mucosae was also demonstrated, through which cysts pushed the muscle fibres into the submucosal area. No specific association between cysts and adenocarcinoma of the stomach was found in the present work.