Reactive gastropathy explained

Reactive gastropathy
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Field:	Pathology, gastroenterology

Reactive gastropathy, chemical gastropathy also called gastritis of « C type » or "chemical gastritis"^[1] is an abnormality in the stomach caused by chemicals, e.g. bile, alcohol, and characteristically has minimal inflammation.

Cause

Reactive gastropathy has a large number of causes, including:

• Alcohol use disorder.
• Bile reflux, such as may be seen post-Billroth II.
• NSAIDs.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is by examination of tissue, e.g. a stomach biopsy.

Relation to gastritis

Reactive gastropathy is morphologically distinct entity^{[2] [3]} that can be separated from gastritis, which by definition has a significant inflammatory component.

As a reactive gastropathy may mimic a (true) gastritis symptomatically and visually in an endoscopic examination, it may incorrectly be referred to as a gastritis. Even aware of the underlying etiology of the pathologic process, e.g. NSAID use, the label "chemical gastritis" is applied to a chemical gastropathy.

See also

• Gastritis

External links

• Reactive gastropathy - surgical pathology criteria (stanford.edu).

Notes and References

1. Wyatt JI, Dixon MF . Chronic gastritis—a pathogenesis approach . The Journal of Pathology. 40 . 154 . 113–24 . 1988 . 3280764 . 10.1002/path.1711540203. 28410354 .
2. Pashankar . DS . Bishop . WP . Mitros . FA . Chemical gastropathy: a distinct histopathologic entity in children . Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 35 . 5 . 653–7 . Nov 2002 . 10.1097/00005176-200211000-00012. 12454581 . 40029728 . free .
3. Dixon . MF . O'Connor . HJ . Axon . AT . King . RF . Johnston . D . Reflux gastritis: distinct histopathological entity? . Journal of Clinical Pathology. 39 . 5 . 524–30 . May 1986 . 10.1136/jcp.39.5.524 . 3722405 . 499914.