Abstract: Objective: To investigate the relationship between the development of gastric cancer and different subtypes and local patterns of intestinal metaplasia.Methods: Histopathological and histochemical methods were used to assess the intestinal metaplasia of tissues from 68 cases of gastric carcinomas and 67 cases of gastritis as control by gastroscopal biopsy.The relationship between gastric cancer and different local patterns of intestinal metaplasia was analyzed.Results: Four kinds of intestinal metaplasia were observed:focal pattern,pylorus-dominant pattern,body of stomach pattern and diffuse pattern.Conclusions: Incomplete intestinal metaplasia mainly develop in the body of stomach pattern and diffuse pattern.In the incomplete intestinal metaplasia occurring along the lesser curvature,the incidence of gascric cancer in different patterns varies.