The prevalence of lymphocytic gastritis, a specific form of chronic gastritis characterized by infiltration of gastric superficial epithelium with T lymphocytes, has been established in nonulcer dyspepsia. Among a population sample of 586 patients at risk for gastric carcinoma, 0.83% of patients with nonulcer dyspepsia and 1.63% of patients with chronic active gastritis showed lymphocytic gastritis. Among routine gastric biopsies from 5130 patients, only five cases met histological and immunohistochemical criteria of lymphocytic gastritis.