Prevalence and characteristics of nodular gastritis in Japanese elderly

Background and Aim Nodular gastritis (NG) is defined as antral gastritis with endoscopic findings usually characterized by a miliary pattern resembling goose flesh. There is a possible association between NG and gastric cancer. The aim of our study is to investigate whether there are some differences between young and elderly people in incidence and characteristics of NG and estimate potential risk factors for gastric cancer in adults with NG. Methods Patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for abdominal symptoms or cancer screening. Incidence rates and relationship between an elderly group (40 years or older) and young group (<40 years) were assessed by endoscopic grade of NG, atrophic grade, concomitant diseases, and serum pepsinogen (PG). Results NG was found in 62 cases (0.94%) out of 6623 patients who underwent endoscopy, with a mean age of 47.3 +/- 13.3 years. Female patients were present at a significantly higher rate in the elderly group (P<0.001). The grade of neutrophil infiltration in the greater curvature of the upper gastric body was recognized at a significantly higher rate in the elderly group (P<0.05). PG II was present at a higher rate and PG I/II at a lower rate in the elderly group (P<0.05). The odds ratio for the risk of gastric cancer in patients with NG was 2.1 (95% confidence interval 0.3-15.3) in the elderly group. Conclusion NG in the elderly was also suggested to be a risk factor for gastric cancer as well as in the young.