ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate and analyze the detection of early gastric cancer (ECG) and explore the endoscopic and pathological characteristics. Methods Clinical data of patients underwent gastroscopy in 2016 were retrospectively collected for the screening and statistics of the detection rate of ECG (detected in examination and confirmed by pathology). In addition, the clinical data of 43 detected patients with ECG (47 lesions) were retrospectively summarized. Endoscopic characteristics under a white light endoscope and a magnifying endoscope with narrow band imaging (NBI) as well as pathological characteristics of ECG were compared. Results The overall detection rate of ECG was 0.23% (43/18,534), accounting for 24.71% (43/174) in the total detected cases of gastric cancer. This study revealed that ECG was the most commonly detected in the gastric antrum (36.17%, 17/47), lesion size >1.0 cm was the most common (68.09%, 32/47), and 0-IIc type were the most common under the endoscope, accounting for 55.32% (26/47). Under the white light endoscope, 35 (74.47%, 35/47) lesions showed mucosal redness, 43 (91.49%, 43/47) lesions presented clear boundaries, 42 (89.36%, 42/47) lesions exhibited irregular surface, 39 (82.98%, 39/47) lesions demonstrated mucosal atrophy and (or) intestinal metaplasia, 17 (36.17%, 17/47) lesions presented edge burrs, 8 (17.02%, 8/47) lesions showed WOS, 13 (27.66%, 13/47) lesions had superficial ulcers, and 21 (44.68%, 21/47) lesions demonstrated spontaneous bleeding. Magnifying endoscopy with NBI was conducted in 30 lesions, revealing clear boundaries in 86.67% (26/30) lesions, irregular or disappeared submucosal microvasculature in 96.67% (29/30) lesions, and irregular or disappeared epithelial microstructure and pit pattern in 90.00% (27/30) lesions. Differentiated pathological type was dominant (89.36%, 42/47). Conclusion ECG mainly occurs in the gastric antrum and 0-IIc type are dominant. Careful observation of the changes and characteristics of the local tone of gastric mucosa under a white light endoscope as well as the changes in lesion boundaries, submucosal microvasculature, epithelial microstructure and pit pattern under a magnifying endoscope with NBI is helpful to improve the diagnosis rate of ECG.