Fundic Gland Polyps and Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Drugs

The class of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) medications such as omeprazole has proven extremely effective in the treatment and prevention of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Although the FDA approval for PPI therapy is limited to 6-8 weeks, many individuals remain on these agents for years, and human studies have suggested that long-term use of a PPI can result in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell hyperplasia, as well as being associated with the development of fundic-gland polyps of the stomach. These findings raise the concern of the possibility that long-term use of PPIs may predispose to the development of neuroendocrine tumors in patients. The investigators aim to examine clinical parameters, including history of PPI use and fasting gastrin levels, as well as histologic characteristics (particularly the presence of ECL-cell hyperplasia) of patients found to have fundic gland polyps during endoscopy. The investigators hypothesize that there is a correlation between fundic gland polyps of the stomach and the use of proton pump inhibiter medications.