Abstract
Our purpose was to evaluate the relationshipbetween the clinical and histological features in acohort of patients who had gastroesophagealreflux-related lesions diagnosed after upper digestiveendoscopy. In all, 589 patients scheduled for electiveendoscopy in a multicentric prospective study wereevaluated. Multiple biopsies from the distal esophagusshowing aspects of esophagitis or metaplastic epithelium were taken. Esophagitis was histologicallydetected in 25.6%, gastric-type Barrett's esophagus in36.2%, and specialized columnar epithelium in 33.1%. Thefrequency of esophagitis was constant across age decades. Patients with specialized columnarepithelium were significantly older (P = 0.01) and hada greater extent of metaplastic epithelium (P <0.0001). Specialized columnar epithelium was observed in 15% of patients with only distalesophagitis. In conclusion, endoscopic esophagitis wasconstant across age strata. The presence of specializedcolumnar epithelium was associated with older age andwith longer segments of Barrett's esophagus. Shortareas of esophagitis should be biopsied in view of theirpotential for holding areas of specialized columnarepithelium.
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Aste, H., Bonelli, L., Ferraris, R. et al. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Relationship Between Clinical and Histological Features). Dig Dis Sci 44, 2412–2418 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026666417658
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026666417658