Giant hypertrophic gastritis is a chronic disorder that affects the stomach. This disorder results in the formation of ridges and folds in the inner walls of the stomach and can cause inflammation of the stomach (National Organization for Rare Disorders [NORD], 2001), and reduced acid secretion in the stomach (Griffith’s Five-Minute Clinical Consult: A Reference For Clinicians, 2001). The exact etiology of this disorder is not known. It has been found to most often affect adults between the ages of 30 and 60, and it affects more males than females. A childhood variety of the disorder has also been identified (NORD, 2001).
Gastritis in which the mucosal folds of the stomach become abnormally thick. It is sometimes a precursor to gastric malignancy.