Gastritis

Gastritis, acute or chronic inflammation of the mucosal lining of the stomach. The ailment was first described in 1833 by the American military surgeon William Beaumont, who was able to study the mucosa of a man who had suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The wound healed with an opening in the stomach wall, through which Beaumont was able to observe the patient's digestive process. In gastritis the inflammation may be marked by the erosion of surface cells of the mucosa, formation of granular nodules, and hemorrhage. In chronic gastritis, there is a growth of fibrous tissue on the lining. Weight loss and delayed emptying of the contents of the stomach may accompany the disease. Gastritis may be caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, abnormal secretion of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juices, and various infections ranging from syphilis and tuberculosis to fungus. Psychological stress may also be involved in the development of gastritis.