Chronic duodenitis with gastric metaplasia: electron microscopic study including comparison with normal.

Duodenal biopsies from 11 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia were examined by electron microscopy. Chronic duodenitis with gastric metaplasia was seen in samples from four patients, and areas of normal-looking duodenal mucosa were present in nine. The metaplastic cells were similar to those previously described in association with duodenal ulcers. They usually showed marked morphological differences from the normal duodenal absorptive cells. The microvilli were distorted and reduced in number, the glycocalyx was ill-defined, the cytoplasm filled with mucous globules and the intercellular spaces, in some areas, were widened and contained acute and chronic inflammatory cells.