Endoscopy of Scirrhous Gastric Carcinoma involving the entire Fundus, Body and the Antrum (22 of 47)

Linitis plastica, a scirrhous carcinoma most commonly of
gastric origin, is characterized by diffuse infiltration
resulting in thickening and stiffening of the gastric wall.
Despite improved treatment outcome for other types of
gastric carcinoma in Japan, the prognosis in linitis plastica
remains extremely poor. In this disease, death often
results from peritoneal carcinomatosis, a consequence of
dissemination of free cancer cells from the primary lesion.
Gross findings indicating peritoneal seeding sometimes are
evident at laparotomy. Even when this is not apparent,
patients with this disease remain at high risk for peritoneal
carcinomatosis.