To discuss the syndrome elements of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with intestinal metaplasia (IM), which can provide the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of IM. Methods:The general and four diagnostic information of 180 patients visited the outpatient whose endoscopy and pathology consistent with IM diagnoses were collected by epidemiological methods. Factor analysis was used to explore the syndrome elements of IM syndrome. Results:Clinical research results showed that disease location elements of IM include stomach, spleen, liver, and gallbladder. Syndrome nature factors were qi stagnation, heat, yin deficiency, damp, qi deficiency, yang deficiency, blood stasis and food stagnation. Conclusion:Through factor analysis method, we preliminarily revealed the nature of IM was deficiency in origin and excessive in superficiality. The deficiency in origin refers to deficiency of spleen and stomach, while excessive in superficiality refers to qi stagnation, damp-heat, blood stasis and food stagnation etc.