Diffuse varioliform gastritis.

During 8 years experience, 90 cases of diffuse varioliform gastritis were observed (0.3% of examinations). Symptoms suggest either the presence of a gastroduodenal ulcer or of a digestive carcinoma when weight loss is prevalent. The disease proceeds by subacute evolutive bouts with remissions and further relapses. At endoscopy, lesions associate large folds in the fundus and erosive mucosal bulgings disseminated in the fundus and antrum. Histological alterations correspond to a superficial hyperplasic gastritis. Cellular infiltration of the lamina propria includes increased immunocytes population with an abnormal distribution of immunoglobulin classes. An increased percentage of IgE cells characterizes the disease as compared to inflammation in atrophic gastritis. Therapy is based upon agent inhibiting mastocytes degranulation and histamine antagonists. Diffuse varioliform gastritis must be separated from antral varioliform gastritis, a lesion with a higher frequency but no symptomatic individuality.