Pathological overview of chronic gastritis in Senegal: results of upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopies.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastritis in upper endoscopies performed for clinical signs suggestive of gastritis among 100 patients in a tropical country. Chronic gastritis (CG) was present among 81%, including CG due to Helicobacter pylori (n = 61, 75.3%), reactive CG (n = 14), and autoimmune CG (n = 6). The gastritis was located in the stomach antrum (55.7%, n = 40), fundus (3.3%, n = 2), or both (41% n = 25). Median age at diagnosis was 35 years (14/80). This CG was associated with signs of stomach activity (27.9%, n = 17), atrophy (13.1%, n = 8), metaplasia (9.8%, n = 6), and dysplasia (8.2%, n = 5). The 14 patients with reactive CG had a mean age of 31 years and all were coffee-drinkers. This CG was not associated with precancerous lesions. Autoimmune CG, present in 6% of the population, was diagnosed at a mean age of 55 years (range: 45; 67). These involved fundal atrophy with metaplasia and were associated with dysplastic lesions (66.7% n = 4).