COLORANT FOR GASTRIC MUCOSA

PURPOSE:To provide a colorant for the gastric mucosa, containing toluidine blue as a main component, capable of coloring the metaplastic epithelium of the patient of gastric diseases stably to the color different from that of the normal epithelium thereof, and facilitating the diagnosis in the examination with a gastroscope. CONSTITUTION:Toluidine blue is used as a colorant for the gastric mucosa. The colorant can be prepared by dissolving toluidine blue in water to a concentration of 0.001-0.2%, and adjusting the pH to 2.0-4.0 preferably with a hydrochloric acid-potassium chloride buffering solution. The coloring of the gastric mucosa is performed by using the spraying tube of a gastroscope, and spraying 20-40ml of the above solution in the gastroscopic examination. Toluidine blue colors the metaplastic epithelium of the gastric mucosa in violet - reddish violet color by metachromatic dyeing. In contrast with the conventional colorant which simply colors the suface of the mucosa, the present colorant enables the stable coloring and facilitates the discrimination of the diseased part from the normal part.