Gastric reddish streaks in the intact stomach: endoscopic feature of reactive gastropathy.

The pathogenesis of reddish streaks in the intact stomach is unclear. Sixty-three functional dyspeptic patients with gastric reddish streaks were recruited for the study. Fifty-five patients (group I) had only reddish streaks while nine patients (group II) had additional lesions such as reddish patches or spots randomly scattered throughout the stomach. Updated Sydney system and parameters of reactive gastropathy were used to score the biopsy specimens from reddish streaks separately. Helicobacter pylori infection rate was found to be markedly lower in group I than group II patients (13% vs 89%, P < 0.001). H. pylori-infected patients had higher scores for acute and chronic inflammation (P < 0.001) and foveolar hyperplasia (P < 0.005) than non-infected patients, while other parameters for gastritis and gastropathy were similar between infected and non-infected patients. In H. pylori-non-infected patients all biopsy specimens had at least one histological feature of reactive gastropathy. Bile reflux was observed in 54% of patients (34/63). Only 7.9% used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 4.9% drank alcohol. The present data indicate that the fundamental histological features of gastric reddish streaks are reactive gastropathy with low H. pylori infection, and are probably enterogastric reflux related in etiology. Coincidental H. pylori infection increased acute and chronic inflammatory cell infiltration, and enhanced the grade of foveolar hyperplasia.