Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa in autopsies of Chilean adults.

The frequency and characteristics of intestinal metaplasia of the stomach were studied in autopsy material of 68 Chilean adults, with ages ranging from 30 to 79 years. Metaplasia was found in 76.5% of the cases, which is in agreement with the high frequency of metaplasia reported from other geographic areas of high incidence for gastric cancer. Of those stomachs with metaplasia, 90.4% had involvement of the lesser curvature, 88.5% of the antral region, and only 3.8% did not show the condition in those two areas. The metaplasia extended to less than half of the length of the mucosa in 85.6% of the sections with this change, showing that it is mainly a patchy and multifocal condition. In subjects older than 50 years, intestinal metaplasia was more extended and severe, and involved with a relative higher frequency the greater curvature and both anterior and posterior walls of the stomach.