Keywords
Autoimmune disease
Histology
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is a chronic condition characterized by the destruction of parietal cells in the gastric body and fundus. The gold standard for diagnosing autoimmune gastritis is histological examination. The aim of this study was to review the literature to discuss the histological findings currently used in the diagnosis of autoimmune gastritis. Methods: This is an integrative literature review utilizing the scientific databases PubMed and Lilacs, with search terms “autoimmune gastritis” in the title and “histology” in the abstract or full text. The period covered was from 2014 to 2024. Results: Thirteen studies were selected for this review. The majority of studies were conducted in Japan (53.8%), were descriptive cross-sectional studies (46.2%), and included a total of 724 patients with autoimmune gastritis. The main histological findings in AIG patients were hyperplasia of enterochromaffin-like cells, glandular atrophy, inflammation of the oxyntic cells, and metaplasia. Conclusion: There is no consensus in the medical community regarding the diagnostic criteria for AIG; however, histological methods are considered the most reliable for diagnostic confirmation and can be combined with immunological methods for greater accuracy.
References
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