Lymphocytic Gastritis
Definition
- Pronounced lymphocytic infiltration in gastric surface epithelium
Alternate/Historical Names
- Chronic erosive gastritis
- Varioliform gastritis
Diagnostic Criteria
- Prominent intraepithelial lymphocyte infiltration
- T cell phenotype
- Usually CD8+
- ≥25 lymphocytes per 100 epithelial cells
- Lymphoepithelial lesions, if present, are small, ≤3 lymphocytes
- T cell phenotype
- Lymphocytes fill lamina propria
- Neutrophils can be seen
- Foveolar hyperplasia, usually mild
- Variable degeneration of surface and foveolar epithelium
- Severe cases have nodular targetoid and eroded lesions along proximal rugae
- Termed “varioliform gastritis”
- May result in atrophy
- May be associated with:
- Collagenous gastritis
- Celiac disease
- Predominantly antral
- Helicobacter
- Predominantly in body mucosa or diffuse
- Crohn disease
- HIV infection
- Lymphoma
- Endoscopic appearance ranges from normal to nodular targetoid erosions (varioliform) to giant mucosal folds resembling hypertrophic gastritis
Robert V Rouse MD
Department of Pathology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford CA 94305-5342
Original posting : September 9, 2009
