Gastric lanthanosis (lanthanum deposition) in dialysis patients treated with lanthanum carbonate

This study included 23 patients with definite gastric lanthanosis. We extracted characteristic clinicopathological features of gastric lanthanosis by computed tomography (CT) imaging and endoscopic, histologic, electron‐microscopic, and element analysis examinations. The Helicobacter pylori infection rate in the lanthanosis group was much lower than that among the general population. The clinicopathological features characteristic of gastric lanthanosis were mucosal high‐density linear appearance by CT, reflective bright‐white spots (BWS) by gastroscopy, eosinophilic histiocytes occasionally phagocytizing foreign materials by histology, and numerous electron‐dense particles in the histiocytes. The particles had burr‐like skeletons resembling La crystals. Gastric lanthanosis is an under‐reported, but not a rare lesion. It is characterized by endoscopic BWS and histologic eosinophilic histiocytes in dialysis patients treated with LaC. The proposed mechanism for gastric lanthanosis is that LaC is dissolved by gastric juice, crystallized within the mucosa and is phagocytized by histiocytes.

Source: Pathology International - June 1, 2017 Category: Pathology Authors: Yuki Shitomi, Haruto Nishida, Takahiro Kusaba, Tsutomu Daa, Shinji Yano, Motoki Arakane, Yoshiyuki Kondo, Takayuki Nagai, Takashi Abe, Ayako Gamachi, Kazunari Murakami, Tsuyoshi Etoh, Norio Shiraishi, Masafumi Inomata, Shigeo Yokoyama Tags: Original Article Source Type: research