RESUMEN
Chronic gastritis (CG) which can be associated with severe complications, is a frequent phenomenon in gastroenterological practice. No data concerning the prevalence of GC are available in France. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of CG on biopsy specimens in the French population. All outpatients coming from different towns of seven French areas and undergoing an upper endoscopy on one or two randomly selected consecutive days were included in the study. A case report form was filled out and 5 biopsy specimens were taken from the fundus and antrum. Pathologists graded the specimens on the basis of Whitehead's classification. Seven hundred and forty-two patients were enrolled by 102 private gastroenterologists. Mean age was 53 years; 52% were males. Endoscopically, the gastric mucosa was abnormal in 53%. Superficial and atrophic CG was diagnosed in 53% of cases. Superficial gastritis was observed in 101 patients (14%), antral chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) in 189 (26%) and fundic CAG in 17 (2%). Patients with CAG were significantly older than the other patients. There were more smokers and heavy alcohol drinkers in the group of CAG patients. Endoscopy and histology were in accordance in only 55.2% of the patients: most cases of CAG were not detected by endoscopy. These results are similar to other studies in European populations. The principal pattern among the various types of gastritis was CAG. The other forms were rare. Autoimmune gastritis was uncommon in this French population (4% of the CAG patients).