BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Biopsy sampling error can be a problem for the diagnosis of certain gastrointestinal tract diseases. Spectrally-encoded confocal microscopy (SECM) is a high-speed reflectance confocal microscopy technology that has the potential to overcome sampling error by imaging large regions of gastrointestinal tract tissues. The aim of this study was to test a recently developed ...

A well-developed myenteric plexus exists in the esophagus composed of striated muscle layers, but its functional role in controlling peristaltic movements remains to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role of a local neural reflex consisting of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent neurons and intrinsic neurons in esophageal peristalsis. We firstly devised a method to mea...

Objective: To characterize nicotinic cholinergic receptors (cholinoceptors) in frog rectus abdominis and mouse esophagus. Material and Methods: Isolated preparations of mouse esophagus and frog rectus abdominis were separately mounted in organ baths filled with Krebs and Ringer solutions respectively. The organ bath medium was continuously gassed with 95% O 2 and 5% CO 2 and the temperature was...

Background. Barrett's esophagus is associated with an increased risk of adenocarcinoma. Dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus is a precursor to adenocarcinoma. Rarely, dysplastic polypoid lesions are superimposed on Barrett's esophagus. Most reported cases of polypoid dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus have been advanced on presentation and treated with esophagectomy. We describe two cases of polypoid...

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is preceded by the development of reflux-related intestinal metaplasia or Barrett’s esophagus which is a response to inflammation of the esophageal squamous mucosa, reflux esophagitis. Gastroesophageal reflux impairs the mucosal barrier in the distal esophagus, allowing chronic exposure of the squamous epithelium to the diverse microbial ecosystem or microbiome, and in...

Acute airway obstruction from mega-esophagus is a rare presentation of achalasia. Mega-esophagus is generally considered when the transverse width of the esophagus is more than 7 cm. A 78 year old lady presented with longstanding history of productive cough and nocturnal dyspnoea. She was seen in the emergency department with acute exacerbation of dyspnoea after a bout of vomiting, containing s...

Upper gastrointestinal tract (UGIT) comprises of esophagus, stomach and duodenum till the second part. Diseases affecting this region include inflammatory lesions, dysplasias, benign neoplasms malignancies. Endoscopic biopsy histopathological examination is considered as gold standard for disorders. aids in early diagnosis malignancy better patient management. Present study was conducted with a...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Over the past few decades, the incidence of adenocarcinomas of the gastroesophageal junction has rapidly increased. Barrett's esophagus is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the role of intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia as a precursor in cardia-related cancer is controversial. The aims of the present study were to examine the prevalence of intestinal me...

The esophagus has always taken third place in the minds and hearts of chest surgeons, whose primary interests were pulmonary and later on cardiac surgery. Indeed, the esophagus runs from the neck through the chest to below the diaphragm, and it was logical that ‘borderline’ pathologies such as diverticula, achalasia, and tracheoesophageal fistulas were also taken on by ENT surgeons as well as t...