Intestinal metaplasia in the stomach, which is defined as the replacement of the gastric mucosa by the epithelium of the intestinal morphology, is an important risk factor in the occurrence of gastric cancer. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach and its risk factors in patients with dyspepsia.

This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients with dyspepsia who were referred to Afzalipour Hospital and Besat Clinic in Kerman from July 2020 to July 2021 and had intestinal metaplasia. Patients were selected by census method and their information was recorded in the data collection form. According to the number of patients with intestinal metaplasia, people who were similar in age and gender to the case group and without intestinal metaplasia were selected as the control group.

In this study, the prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the stomach in patients with dyspepsia was 26.3%. Forty six percent of patients with intestinal metaplasia in the stomach were men and 54% were women. The average age of the patients was 54.8 years (18-90 years). The most common indication for upper endoscopy in dyspepsia patients with intestinal metaplasia in the stomach was resistance to treatment and the most common results of gastric endoscopy was erogenous enteric mucosa (33%) and then erythema in the antrum (31%). 95 patients had limited intestinal metaplasia (95%), which was the most frequent site of involvement of the antrum. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in dyspepsia patients with intestinal metaplasia in the stomach was 57%. There was a significant relationship between intestinal metaplasia and smoking and hookah (P=0.032).

The results of this study showed that 26.3% patients with dyspepsia had intestinal metaplasia in the stomach. On average, one out of every four people had intestinal metaplasia. Anyway, stomach mapping in patients with dyspepsia can lead to the diagnosis of precancerous lesions.