Intestinal metaplasia of the stomach: symptoms, treatment. Squamous cell metaplasia is ...

Many people diagnosed with such a disease as intestinal metaplasia of the stomach, which is characterized by the degeneration of the gastric epithelium into the intestinal. The lining cells that produce hydrochloric acid cease to fulfill their function, as a result of which the digestive organs begin to suffer, and the metabolism is disturbed.

The condition of a person in the occurrence of such a pathology is considered dangerous, but curable. If instead of cells of the stomach in it there is a multiplication of cells of the colon, then this is considered a precancerous condition. Although treatment in this case is possible, but with neglected forms, an extremely unfavorable prognosis is observed.

What is intestinal metaplasia?

This disease, in which the tissues of the gastric mucosa are replaced by intestinal cells. For the first time the disease was described more than 100 years ago by Professor Kupfer. This pathology most often affects the elderly. According to statistics, 80% of patients develop chronic gastritis and duodenal ulcer.

In healthy people, the tissues that cover the walls of the stomach are constantly being refreshed. If damage occurs, the cells begin to divide intensively, resulting in their increased migration and recovery of cellular renewal. This process in patients with chronic gastritis is disrupted, because of which the gastric glands stop performing their functions, leading to the formation of metaplasia.

Types of disease

Metaplasia of the stomach is of two types:

• Small intestine (full, mature);
• Colonic (incomplete, immature).

The mature form is distinguished by the presence of cells, which can be found only in the small intestine: sulfamucins, crenate, goblet enterocytes. However, the main sign, which confirms this kind of pathology, is Panet cells. The tissues of the stomach begin to resemble the small intestine both in structure and in functional properties.

Immature metaplasia of the stomach is characterized by a violation of maturation and development of the gastric glands, and the epithelium is most often represented by cells of the large intestine.

It should be noted that in case of stomach cancer, incomplete metaplasia is found in 94% of cases. This condition is considered precancerous, untimely treatment of it leads to a fatal outcome.

In addition, squamous metaplasia is particularly noteworthy. Let's analyze it in more detail.

What is squamous metaplasia?

The peculiarity of this pathology is that in the place of a normal layer of epithelium a multilayer squamous cell is formed. In its essence, this is the process of replacing mature, highly differentiated cells with less mature cells. The latter have a greater ability to adapt, as they are often transformed into any of the cellular types that have high resistance to various damaging factors.

For example, squamous cell metaplasia of the gastric epithelium in peptic ulcer of the stomach helps to weaken the damaging effect of excess enzymes and acids. Once the irritating factor is eliminated, the tissue returns to its normal state.

However, as a sign of the pathological process, this kind of metaplasia does not always have restrictive factors. This leads to the fact that immature cells, trying to adapt, begin to accumulate a large number of gene mutations and are no longer able to keep their division under control, turning into a substrate of a cancerous tumor.

Why can metaplasia occur?

This disease develops for the following reasons:

• Inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by a variety of factors;
• Chronic inflammation of esophagus tissues;
• Frequent stress;
• Hormonal disorders;
• Irritation of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Gastritis, which lasts a long time.

How is the disease manifested?

This disease itself is not manifested in any way, and all the characteristic symptoms of metaplasia are related to the diseases that contributed to its development. They include:

• Nausea;
• Loss of appetite;
• Aching pain in the epigastric region.

Increased acidity of the stomach is accompanied by heartburn, "hungry" pain, which can intensify at night. If intestinal metaplasia is accompanied by casting into the esophagus of the contents of the stomach, vomiting and a feeling of bitterness in the oral cavity may appear.

Diagnostics

To reveal the form of the disease, a histological examination is carried out. It consists in the fact that small pieces of tissue are taken from the human body and studied. The method of taking epithelium or cells is called biopsy. This method of diagnosis is considered mandatory if there is a suspicion of a malignant tumor.

To determine the degree of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, an additional study is carried out using endoscopic equipment. Fabrics that are under suspicion are tinted with a special paint that is absolutely harmless to the human body. If the cells are damaged, they acquire a special color, and they are clearly visible under the microscope.

Features of treatment

If intestinal metaplasia is diagnosed, the treatment of this disease is medicated and operative. The patient must necessarily register with the gastroenterologist.

Treatment with medicines

This method of treatment is used in the following cases:

• To eliminate gastroesophageal reflux disease - a disease characterized by a systematic throwing into the esophagus of acidic stomach contents, as it damages the mucous membrane;
• To prevent benign neoplasm;
• To suppress the secretion of the stomach.

For treatment, the doctor may prescribe the following drugs:

• Proton pump inhibitors are modern medicines that reduce the acidity of gastric juice. They include "Omeprazole", "Rabeprazole", "Pantoprazole".
• Antacids ("Fosfalugel", "Maalox") - drugs that help neutralize hydrochloric acid.
• H2 - histamine blockers ("Ranitidine", "Cimetidine") - antisecretory drugs.
• Gastroprotectors - if the acidity of the stomach is increased, they help prevent the destruction of the mucosa.

Surgical intervention

If conservative treatment does not bring a positive result, then the doctor can recommend surgery. How is metaplasia eliminated? This happens with the use of special endoscopic equipment, which allows minimizing the degree of injury, and this surgery is called minimally invasive. If necessary, the damaged area is completely removed. This method of treatment several times reduces the risk of carcinogenic formations.

Prevention

To avoid the occurrence of such a disease as intestinal metaplasia, it is necessary to follow preventive measures.

It is necessary to avoid the occurrence of stressful situations, to react positively to any stimuli. Be sure to fully rest.

Adhere to sanitary and hygienic standards of nutrition. Intestinal metaplasia of the stomach is caused not only by the bacterium Helicobacter, but also by other infections. In addition, if sanitary standards are violated, the likelihood of getting food poisoning is high, which will additionally irritate the gastric mucosa.

You should also adhere to a rational diet. In this case, it is necessary to completely abandon such chemical surrogates as carbonated beverages, sharp, refined, salted foods, smoked products. It is best to include in your diet dishes that are rich in dietary fiber. It can be various porridges, vegetables, greens, fruit, bread from whole-grain flour.

Conclusion

Thus, we found out what metaplasia is. This is quite a dangerous disease, which can contribute to the occurrence of stomach cancer. Only timely access to a specialist and compliance with all necessary recommendations can slow or regress destructive processes.