Significance of gastric surface epithelial metaplasia in the duodenum.

An experimental study was undertaken to establish whether normally occurring gastric surface epithelial metaplasia was increased in chronic duodenitis caused by explanting duodenal mucosa in dogs. All the histological changes of chronic duodenitis were observed in the explants. However, as established by morphometry, the distribution and the amount of gastric surface epithelial metaplasia remained unchanged in 9 dogs following periods of explantation from 3 months to 1 year. It was concluded that under these experimental conditions, gastric surface epithelial metaplasia was not a manifestation of chronic duodenitis.