Granulomas of Stomach: II. Experimental Production by Intramural Injection of Foreign Material Including Gastric Juice

Abstract

Benign, polypoid, granulomatous lesions of the stomach were produced experimentally in rabbits by intramural injn. of the animal''s gastric juice and by intramural injn. of various "exogenous" foreign materials. Injn. of the animal''s gastric juice into its stomach wall causes acute inflammation and hyaline necrosis of the submucosa, the muscularis mucosa and the external muscularis. The necrotic muscle bundles and fibrous tissue form eosinophilic masses identical in appearance to those seen in granulomatous lesions in human stomachs. Chronic granulomas with giant cell reaction and fibrosis occur around these "endogenous foreign particles." Certain areas histologically resemble the "inflammatory fibroid polyps" descr. by Helwig and Ranier. This exptl. evidence suggests that many of the chronic granulomas of the stomach of unknown etiology, variously designated as "Loeffler''s syndrome," "eosinophilic granuloma," "pseudocarcinoma," and "inflammatory fibroid polyps" may be examples of reactions to foreign material, either endogenous or exogenous.