What does intestinal metaplasia mean?

Intestinal metaplasia refers to intestinal metaplasia, which refers to the replacement of gastric epithelial cells by intestinal epithelial cells.

Intestinal metaplasia is a pathological change, which refers to the gastric mucosa after chronic inflammation or injury. In order to adapt to this environment, gastric mucosal cells may undergo morphological and functional changes and gradually transform into cell types similar to small intestine. Intestinal metaplasia may be related to many factors, such as chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps, and unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, drinking, and high-salt diet. Intestinal metaplasia is considered to be the early stage of gastric cancer, especially when it occurs together with gastric mucosal atrophy and dysplasia, the risk of cancer will increase significantly, so it needs to be paid attention to, timely medical examination and treatment.