Minute mucosal patterns in gastric carcinoma. Magnification radiography of resected gastric specimens.

Magnification radiographs of 32 resected gastric specimens were used for analysis of minute gastric mucosal patterns according to the size and shape of the gastric areas and the appearances of the sulci between them. The mucosal patterns of 92 portions of stomachs were divided into 5 types and observed for correlation with their macroscopic appearances and histology. Destruction of the gastric areas and the sulci was predominant in the carcinomatous mucosa. However, among the patterns of noncarcinomatous mucosa, 18% of those with marked mucosal atrophy had abnormal mucosal patterns impossible to distinguish from carcinomatous mucosa.