BACKGROUND The previously reported prevalence of gastric heterotopia in the cervical esophagus, also termed inlet patch (IP), varies substantially, ranging from 0.18 to 14%. Regarding cases with adenocarcinoma within IP, some experts recommend to routinely obtain biopsies from IP for histopathology. Another concern is the reported relation to Barrett's esophagus. The objectives of the study wer...

Patients with Barrett's esophagus are at high risk of progression to adenocarcinoma. A growing, but conflicting body of evidence implicates bile reflux as a contributor to Barrett's esophagus. To investigate whether duodenogastric reflux was associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus, a case-control study of incident Barrett's esophagus was performed. Cases (n=72) were identified ...

The biomechanical and sensory characteristics of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and those of the striated and smooth muscle portions of the esophagus have not been compared in humans. Our aim was to determine sensory perception, cross-sectional area (CSA), and biomechanical parameters at different levels of the esophagus. We studied 11 healthy volunteers, using impedance planimetry. Inter...

The significance of finding specialized intestinal epithelium localized to the region of the gastroesophageal junction is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that short segments of specialized intestinal epithelium are a consequence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and are premalignant. Two hundred forty-one patients with reflux symptoms underwent gastroscopy with rigorous biopsy. Barrett's eso...

Barrett esophagus is a change in the normal squamous epithelium of the esophagus to specialized columnar-lined epithelium. Barrett esophagus is of interest to surgeons in that it is associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and is a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Beyond that, nearly every other aspect of Barrett esophagus has been an area of controversy among surgeons, ...

BACKGROUND The esophagus may be mobile during a left atrial (LA) ablation procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVE The goal of the study was to determine whether the location of the esophagus is stable in patients undergoing a repeat LA ablation procedure. METHODS Forty-two patients underwent repeat LA ablation a mean of 7 +/- 2 months after the initial procedure. Cinefluoroscopic ...

Acid reflux episodes that extend to the proximal esophagus are more likely to be perceived. This suggests that the proximal esophagus is more sensitive to acid than the distal esophagus, which could be caused by impaired mucosal integrity in the proximal esophagus. Our aim was to explore sensitivity to acid and mucosal integrity in different segments of the esophagus. We used a prospective obse...

BACKGROUND Prior studies suggest that obstructive sleep apnea may be associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, a strong risk factor for Barrett's esophagus. The goals of this pilot case-control study were to determine whether Barrett's esophagus patients have an increased likelihood of obstructive sleep apnea and to determine whether nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux symptoms affect the ...

Histological development of digestive tract of the Caspian salmon, Salmo trutta caspius, from hatching to 6 month post-hatching was studied using light microscope. The digestive tract of newly hatched larvae was a simple, undifferentiated tube which continued from mouth to anus. In 10 days post hatching larvae, the alimentary canal became more differentiated and secretion was started activity, ...