慢性胃炎是目前消化科门诊中最常见的临床疾病之一，但慢性胃炎的病因及由其引起的临床表现仍不甚清楚。目前通常认为，幽门螺杆菌(Hp)感染是慢性胃炎的主要病因，大部分患者无临床症状，少数患者有消化不良表现。由于现在认为Hp相关性慢性胃炎会导致肠化生、异型增生，甚至发展为肠型胃癌，因此临床上通常采用根除Hp、保护胃黏膜、促胃动力药物治疗，但疗效并不尽如人意。笔者主要对慢性胃炎的定义、临床表现、临床治疗等几方面进行探讨，希望对慢性胃炎临床意义的理解有所帮助，并对正确处理慢性胃炎提供参考。

Chronic gastritis is one of the most prevalent disorders seen in gastrointestinal clinics, however, its etiology and clinical manifestations remain unclear. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that Helicobactor pylori (Hp) infection is the primary cause of chronic gastritis, and most patients have no visible symptoms, with the exception of dyspepsia in a small number of individuals. It is thought that Hp-related chronic gastritis may develop into intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and, eventually, intestinal-type gastric cancer. As a result, the therapy of chronic gastritis often includes Hp eradication, gastric mucosa protection, and gastroprokinetic medications. However, the efficacy is just marginally adequate. The author discusses the definition, clinical characteristics, and clinical therapy of chronic gastritis in order to help clinicians gain a better grasp of the disease′s clinical importance and to provide guidance for appropriate disease management.