Minimal carcinoma of the stomach. Observations on the histogenesis of gastric carcinoma

: A six case series of "minute gastric cancer", with maximum dimension of less than 5 mm., is presented by the authors. All these cases were studied clinico pathologically by endoscopy and preoperative biopsy and were controlled by detailed pathological examination of the operative specimens, specially in order to assess the incidence of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia of the gastric mucosa. Histogenetically the authors appreciate a relation between intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa and the intestinal type of the gastric cancer, in according to the Lauren classification. This relation is not evident between intestinal metaplasia and diffuse histological type of gastric cancer. Mucosal dysplasia is the alteration most often found in the gastric mucosa of patients with gastric cancer. Dysplasia of the gastric mucosa should be considered the most important factor related to the development of the gastric cancer.