Phlegmonous Gastritis Diagnosis and Management
Summary
Phlegmonous gastritis is an uncommon but life-threatening bacterial infection characterised by suppurative inflammation of the gastric wall. Although its incidence is low, the condition carries high mortality if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Predisposing factors include immunosuppression, chronic liver disease, diabetes, malignancy and recent invasive gastrointestinal procedures. Clinical presentation is often nonspecific, with patients reporting epigastric pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Early recognition relies on a high index of suspicion, supported by cross-sectional imaging and endoscopic evaluation. Computed tomography typically shows circumferential gastric wall thickening, intramural low-density areas and perigastric fat stranding. Endoscopy may reveal erythema, oedematous folds and purulent exudate, although findings vary. Definitive diagnosis is established by microbiological culture of gastric mucosal or abscess material, commonly yielding Streptococcus species, Klebsiella or a polymicrobial flora. Management hinges on the prompt administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics, often guided by culture results, with treatment durations extending beyond two weeks. Surgical intervention—from limited debridement to total gastrectomy—is reserved for patients who fail to improve, develop complications such as gastric necrosis or abdominal compartment syndrome, or present with refractory sepsis. Recent advances emphasise the role of minimally invasive endoscopic drainage techniques and tailored antimicrobial regimens. Despite progress, outcomes remain variable, underscoring the importance of multidisciplinary care and further research into diagnostic biomarkers and optimal therapeutic algorithms.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Phlegmonous Gastritis Diagnosis and Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in phlegmonous gastritis diagnosis and management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Phlegmonous gastritis: A rare, suppurative bacterial infection involving full-thickness inflammation of the gastric wall.
Submucosa: The layer of connective tissue beneath the mucosa that is a primary site of infection in this condition.
Computed tomography (CT): An imaging modality that reveals gastric wall thickening, intramural collections and fat stranding.
Endoscopy: A procedure using a flexible scope to visualise the gastric mucosa and obtain biopsy or pus samples for culture.
Abdominal compartment syndrome: A severe complication characterised by increased intra-abdominal pressure leading to organ dysfunction.
References
- Phlegmonous Gastritis in a Patient With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis-Related Cirrhosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Cureus (2023).
- A case of phlegmonous gastritis complicated by stomach necrosis requiring gastrectomy. Gastroenterology & Endoscopy (2024).
- Phlegmonous gastritis complicated by abdominal compartment syndrome: a case report. BMC Surgery (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.