Analysis of Symptoms in Patients with Minimal Change Esophagitis Versus Those with Reflux Esophagitis and Peptic Ulcer

According to the 2006 Montreal globally acceptable definition and classification of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), this condition develops when the reflux of gastric contents causes symptoms or complications (Vakil et al., 2006). Because reflux esophagitis is defined as occurring when reflux of gastric acid into the esophagus causes mucosal breaks, erosions and/or ulcers, this condition requires endoscopic diagnosis. Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) is defined by occurrence of reflux symptoms in patients without any endoscopic mucosal breaks. Thus, NERD includes prominent erythema without clear demarcation or whitish cloudiness of the lower esophageal mucosa obscuring the longitudinal blood vessels, which used to be known as the "discoloring" type of reflux esophagitis in Japan. In the present study, we characterized the symptoms and pathophysiology of patients with minimal change esophagitis (MC esophagitis), who had prominent erythema and whitish cloudiness of the esophageal mucosa.