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Although patients with atrophic gastritis have excess risk for gastric neoplasia, including gastric cancer, routine endoscopic surveillance with biopsies is not recommended. However, endoscopic surveillance might be appropriate if specific risk factors could identify which patients are most likely to develop neoplastic lesions.
To determine such risk factors, investigators in Italy followed 300 patients with atrophic gastritis for a median of 4.3 years (range, 1.0–16.5 years). Initial endoscopic biopsies were taken from the antrum and body of the stomach in each patient. Helicobacter pylori infection was present and treated in 64.0% of patients; successful eradication was achieved in 62.5%. Follow-up endoscopy with biopsy was performed 2 to …