Endoscopic imaging of Barrett’s esophagus

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma(EAC) has dramatically increased in the United States as well as Western European countries. The majority of esophageal adenocarcinomas arise from a backdrop of Barrett’s esophagus(BE),a premalignant lesion that can lead to dysplasia and cancer. Because of the increased risk of EAC,GI society guidelines recommend endoscopic surveillance of patients with BE. The emphasis on early detection of dysplasia in BE through surveillance endoscopy has led to the development of advanced endoscopic imaging technologies. These techniques have the potential to both improve mucosal visualization and characterization and to detect small mucosal abnormalities which are difficult to identify with standard endoscopy. This review summarizes the advanced imaging technologies used in evaluation of BE.     

Diagnosis and management of Barrett��s metaplasia: What��s new

Barrett’s esophagus(BE) is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease,and a premalignant lesion for esophageal adenocarcinoma(EAC).Observational studies suggest that endoscopic surveillance is associated with the detection of dysplasia and EAC at an early stage along with improved survival,but controversies still remain.The management of patients with BE involves endoscopic surveillance,preventive and clinical measures for cancer,and endoscopic and surgical approaches to treatment.Deciding upon the most appropriate treatment is a challenge.This study presents the results and the effectiveness of these practices.     

Impairment of secondary peristalsis in Barrett’s esophagus by transnasal endoscopy-based testing

AIM:To investigate dysfunctions in esophageal peristalsis and sensation in patients with Barrett’s esophagus following acid infusion using endoscopy-based testing.METHODS:First,physiological saline was infused into the esophagus of five healthy subjects,at a rate of 10 mL/min for 10 min,followed by infusion of HCl.Esophageal contractions were analyzed to determine whether the contractions observed by endoscopy and ultrasonography corresponded to the esophageal peristaltic waves diagnosed by manometry.Next,using nasal endoscopy,esophageal sensations and contractions were investigated in patients with,as well as controls without,Barrett’s esophagus using the same infusion protocol.RESULTS:All except one of the propulsive contractions identified endoscopically were recorded as secondary peristaltic waves by manometry.Patients with long segment Barrett’s esophagus(LSBE)tended to have a shorter lag time than the control group,although the difference did not reach statistical significance(88±54s vs 162±150 s respectively,P=0.14).Furthermore,patients with LSBE had significantly fewer secondary contractions following the infusion of both saline and HCl than did either the control group or patients with short segment Barrett’s esophagus(4.1±1.2 vs 8.0±2.8,P<0.001 and 7.3±3.2,P<0.01,respectively,following saline infusion;5.3±1.2vs 8.4±2.4 and 8.1±2.9 respectively,P<0.01 for both,following infusion of HCl).CONCLUSION:Using nasal endoscopy and a simple acid-perfusion study,we were able to demonstrate disorders in secondary peristalsis in patients with LSBE.     

MicroRNAs, development of Barrett’s esophagus, and progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma

Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition caused by gastroesophageal reflux. Once developed, it can progress through varying grades of dysplasia to esoph-ageal adenocarcinoma. Whilst it is well accepted that Barrett's esophagus is caused by gastroesophageal reflux, the molecular mechanisms of its pathogenesis and progression to cancer remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short segments of RNA that have been shown to control the expression of many human genes. They have been implicated in most cellul...     

Effect of medical and surgical treatment of Barrett’s metaplasia

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a change in the esophageal mucosa as a result of long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease. The importance of BE is that it is the main risk factor for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, whose incidence is currently growing faster than any other cancer in the Western world. The aim of this review was to compare the common treatment modalities of BE, with the focus on proton pump inhibitors and operative fundoplication. We performed a literature search on medical and surgical treatment of BE to determine eligible studies for this review. Studies on medical and surgical treatment of BE are discussed with regard to treatment effect on progression and regression of disease. Although there is some evidence for control of reflux with either medical or surgical therapy, there is no def initive evidence that either treatment modality decreases the risk of progression to dysplasia or cancer. Even though there is a trend toward antireflux surgery being superior, there are no def initive studies to prove this.     

Assessment of the diagnostic performance and interobserver variability of endocytoscopy in Barrett’s esophagus:A pilot ex-vivo study

AIM:To investigate a classification of endocytoscopy(ECS)images in Barrett’s esophagus(BE)and evaluate its diagnostic performance and interobserver variability.METHODS:ECS was applied to surveillance endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)specimens of BE ex-vivo.The mucosal surface of specimen was stained with 1%methylene blue and surveyed with a catheter-type endocytoscope.We selected still images that were most representative of the endoscopically suspect lesion and matched with the final histopathological diagnosis to accomplish accurate correlation.The diagnostic performance and inter-observer variability of the new classification scheme were assessed in a blinded fashion by physicians with expertise in both BE and ECS and inexperienced physicians with no prior exposure to ECS.RESULTS:Three staff physicians and 22 gastroenterology fellows classified eight randomly assigned unknown still ECS pictures(two images per each classification)into one of four histopathologic categories as follows:(1)BEC1-squamous epithelium;(2)BEC2-BE without dysplasia;(3)BEC3-BE with dysplasia;and(4)BEC4-esophageal adenocarcinoma(EAC)in BE.Accuracy of diagnosis in staff physicians and clinical fellows were,respectively,100%and 99.4%for BEC1,95.8%and83.0%for BEC2,91.7%and 83.0%for BEC3,and95.8%and 98.3%for BEC4.Interobserver agreement of the faculty physicians and fellows in classifying each category were 0.932 and 0.897,respectively.CONCLUSION:This is the first study to investigate classification system of ECS in BE.This ex-vivo pilot study demonstrated acceptable diagnostic accuracy and excellent interobserver agreement.     

Raman spectroscopy for early real-time endoscopic optical diagnosis based on biochemical changes during the carcinogenesis of Barrett’s esophagus

Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique based on the inelastic scattering of monochromatic light that represents the molecular composition of the interrogated volume to provide a direct molecular fingerprint. Several investigations have revealed that confocal Raman spectroscopy can differentiate non-dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus from esophageal high-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma with high sensitivity and specificity. An automated on-line Raman spectral diagnostic system has made it possible to use Raman spectroscopy to guide accurate target biopsy instead of multiple random forceps-biopsies,this novel system is expected to improve in vivo precancerous diagnosis and tissue characterization of Barrett’s esophagus.     

Biomarkers in Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma:Predictors of progression and prognosis

Barrett’s esophagus is a well-known premalignant lesion of the lower esophagus that is characterized by intestinal metaplasia of the squamous epithelium. It is clinically important due to the increased risk (0.5% per annum) of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA), which has a poor outcome unless diagnosed early. The current clinical management of Barrett’s esophagus is hampered by the lack of accurate predictors of progression. In addition, when patients develop EA, the current staging modalities are limited in stratifying patients into different prognostic groups in order to guide the optimal therapy for an individual patient. Biomarkers have the potential to improve radically the clinical management of patients with Barrett’s esophagus and EA but have not yet entered mainstream clinical practice. This is in contrast to other cancers like breast and prostate for which biomarkers are utilized routinely to inform clinical decisions. This review aims to highlight the most promising predictive and prognostic biomarkers in Barrett’s esophagus and EA and to discuss what is required to move the field forward towards clinical application.     

Meta-analysis of Barrett’s esophagus in China

AIM:To investigate the epidemiology and characteristics of Barrett’s esophagus(BE)in China and compare with cases in the west.METHODS:Studies were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and PubMed databases using the terms"Barrett"and"Barrett AND China",respectively,as well as published studies about BE in China from 2000 to 2011.The researchers reviewed the titles and abstracts of all search results to determine whether or not the literature was relevant to the current topic of this research.The references listed in the studies were also searched.Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the literature were appropriately established,and the data reported in the selected studies were analyzed.Finally,a meta-analysis was performed.RESULTS:The current research included 3873 cases of BE from 69 studies.The endoscopic detection rate of BE in China was 1%.The ratio of male to female cases was 1.781 to 1,and the average age of BE patients was 49.07±5.09 years.Island-type and shortsegment BE were the most common endoscopic manifestations,accounting for 4.48%and 80.3%,respectively,of all cases studied.Cardiac-type BE was observed in 40.0%of the cases,representing the most common histological characteristic of the condition.Cancer incidence was 1.418 per 1000 person-years.CONCLUSION:Average age of BE patients in China is lower than in Western countries.Endoscopic detection and cancer incidence were also lower in China.     

Pathophysiology and treatment of Barrett’s esophagus

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects an estimated 20% of the population in the United States. About 10%-15% of patients with GERD develop Barrett’s esophagus, which can progress to adenocarcinoma, currently the most prevalent type of esophageal cancer. The esophagus is normally lined by squamous mucosa, therefore, it is clear that for adenocarcinoma to develop, there must be a sequence of events that result in transformation of the normal squamous mucosa into columnar epithelium. This sequence beg...     

Role of chemoprophylaxis with either NSAIDs or statins in patients with Barrett’s esophagus简

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, a poor prognosis neoplasia, has risen dramatically in recent decades. Barrett’s esophagus represents the best-known risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma development. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs through cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition and prostaglandin metabolism regulation could control cell proliferation, increase cell apoptosis and regulate the expression of growth and angiogenic factors. Statins can achieve equivalent effects through prenylation and subsequently control of cellular signaling cascades. At present, epidemiological studies are small and underpowered. Their data could not justify either medication as a chemo-preventive agent. Population based studies have shown a 43% reduction of the odds of developing an esophageal adenocarcinoma, leaving out or stating a 25% reduction in patients consuming non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and a 50% reduction in those patients consuming aspirin. They have also stated a 19% reduction of esophageal cancer incidence when statins have been used. Observational studies have shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could reduce the adenocarcinoma incidence in patients with Barrett’s esophagus by 41%, while statins could reduce the risk by 43%. The cancer preventive effect has been enhanced in those patients taking a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and statins (a 74% decrease). Observational data are equivocal concerning the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug subclasses. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs clearly have substantial potential for toxicity, while statins are rather safe drugs. In conclusion, both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and statins are promising chemopreventive agents and deserve further exploration with interventional studies. In the meanwhile, their use is justified only in patients with cardiovascular disease.     

Magnifying endoscopy in the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus and Barrett's adenocarcinoma

Magnifying endoscopy with dye or acetic acid is useful for evaluating mucosal surface patterns in patients with Barrett's epithelium. Barrett's epithelium can be diagnosed on the basis of the presence of translucent longitudinal vessels. Specialized intestinal metaplasia frequently occurs in villous- or gyrus-type mucosa. Superficial Barrett's adenocarcinoma is associated with irregularities or destruction of mucosal surface patterns. Magnifying endoscopy combined with optical chromoendoscopy by new techniques for enhancement of vascular images, such as narrow-band imaging (NBI) and Fuji intelligent color enhancement (FICE), may further improve diagnostic accuracy. Irregularly arranged abnormal vessels appear in cancerous lesions. However, classification systems for characteristic vascular patterns have not been established. Whether vascular patterns are useful for diagnosing cancers with mild atypia remains an open question.     

Yield of intestinal metaplasia in patients with suspected short-segment Barrett's esophagus (SSBE) on repeat endoscopy

Biopsies from short segments of columnar appearing mucosa in the distal esophagus often fail to reveal intestinal metaplasia (IM). The yield of IM on repeat upper endoscopy (EGD) and biopsy in these patients is not known. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the yield of IM on repeat EGD in patients with suspected SSBE (negative for IM on first EGD). Forty-three patients with suspected SSBE underwent repeat EGD with biopsy. This included 42 men and 1 woman, mean age 53 years (range: 45–90) with a mean columnar mucosa length of 1.26 cm (range: 0.5–2.5). On repeat EGD, 10 of 43 patients (23.2%) had evidence of IM. There was no statistically significant difference between the patients with proven SSBE on repeat EGD compared to those with persistent negative IM with regards to age, ethnicity, length of columnar mucosa, GERD symptoms, and hiatal hernia size. In conclusion, more than 20% of patients with suspected SSBE have evidence of IM (ie, proven SSBE) on repeat EGD. Thus repeat EGD with biopsy may be warranted in patients with tongues of columnar mucosa in the distal esophagus but no IM on the first biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of SSBE.     

醋酸增强内镜技术在慢性萎缩性胃炎及肠上皮化生诊断中的价值

目的探讨醋酸增强内镜技术在慢性萎缩性胃炎及肠上皮化生诊断中的应用价值。方法110例病人,先行常规内镜检查,对胃窦、胃体大小弯、胃角各摄片l张,然后用1．5％醋酸5-10ml喷洒,一分钟后冲洗观察,再次对上述各部位摄片并取活检1块,送病理检查。将患者醋酸增强内镜前、后的内镜图像分别进行阅片诊断,与病理诊断进行对照分析。结果病理诊断慢性萎缩性胃炎41例,其中醋酸增强内镜和常规内镜的诊断符合率为轻度13：16、0：16,中度12：13、4：13,重度12：12、9：12;醋酸增强内镜和常规内镜诊断慢性萎缩性胃炎的各项指标为敏感性95．65％VS31．71％、特异性94．06％VS37．68％、准确性90．24％vs31．71％、阳性预测值92．5％VS23．21％、阴性预测值92．5％VS48．15％、约登指数0．86VS-0．31;醋酸增强内镜明显优于常规内镜,P〈0．001;轻中度慢性萎缩性胃炎在醋酸增强后黏膜呈现白色粗糙不平。有点状或片状粗大颗粒状或鱼鳞样隆起改变,贴近观察可见绒毛样或脑回状胃小凹。普通内镜未能观察到黏膜病变。结论醋酸增强内镜可提高慢性萎缩性胃炎伴肠上皮化生的诊断准确率。     

门诊护理干预对提高老年糖尿病病人生活质量评价分析

[目的]调查研究门诊护理干预对老年糖尿病病人生活质量的影响。[方法]采用随机法将50例老年糖尿病病人分为观察组和对照组各25例,两组病人采用相同的治疗方案,观察组采用门诊护理方法,对照组采用常规的护理方案进行护理。[结果]观察组在实施护理后的情绪明显好转,对疾病护理后的焦虑程度为35.56分±9.05分,与对照组的52.25分±7.12分比较,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组病人的心率与血压状况相比存在较大的差异性(P<0.05)。[结论]通过门诊护理干预,可以有效提高老年糖尿病病人的生活质量,提高战胜疾病的信心。     

Management strategies of Barrett's esophagus

Barrett’s esophagus is a condition resulting from chronic gastro-esophageal reflux disease with a documented risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Current strategies for improved survival in patients with Barrett''s adenocarcinoma focus on detection of dysplasia. This can be obtained by screening programs in high-risk cohorts of patients and/or endoscopic biopsy surveillance of patients with known Barrett’s esophagus (BE). Several therapies have been developed in attempts to reverse BE and reduce cancer risk. Aggressive medical management of acid reflux, lifestyle modifications, antireflux surgery, and endoscopic treatments have been recommended for many patients with BE. Whether these interventions are cost-effective or reduce mortality from esophageal cancer remains controversial. Current treatment requires combinations of endoscopic mucosal resection techniques to eliminate visible lesions followed by ablation of residual metaplastic tissue. Esophagectomy is currently indicated in multifocal high-grade neoplasia or mucosal Barrett’s carcinoma which cannot be managed by endoscopic approach.     

Photodynamic therapy vs radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s dysplasia: Efficacy,safety and cost-comparison

AIM:To compare effectiveness,safety,and cost of photodynamic therapy(PDT)and radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in treatment of Barrett’s dysplasia(BD).METHODS:Consecutive case series of patients undergoing either PDT or RFA treatment at single center by a single investigator were compared.Thirty-three patients with high-grade dysplasia(HGD)had treatment with porfimer sodium photosensitzer and 630 nm laser(130 J/cm),with maximum of 3 treatment sessions.Fifty-three patients with BD(47 with low-grade dysplasia-LGD,6 with HGD)had step-wise circumferential and focal ablation using the HALO system with maximum of 4 treatment sessions.Both groups received proton pump inhibitors twice daily.Endoscopic biopsies were acquired at 2 and 12 mo after enrollment,with 4-quadrant biopsies every 1 cm of the original BE extent.A complete histological resolution response of BD(CR-D)was defined as all biopsies at the last endoscopy session negative for BD.Fisher’s exact test was used to assess differences between the two study groups for primary outcomes.For all outcomes,a two-sided P value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.RESULTS:Thirty(91%)PDT patients and 39(74%)RFA were men(P=0.05).The mean age was 70.7±12.2 and 65.4±12.7(P=0.10)year and mean length of BE was 5.4±3.2 cm and 5.7±3.2 cm(P=0.53)for PDT and RFA patients,respectively.The CR-D was(18/33)54.5%with PDT vs(47/53)88.7%with RFA(P=0.001).One patient with PDT had an esophageal perforation and was managed with non-surgical measures and no perforation was seen with RFA.PDT was five times more costly than RFA at our institution.The two groups were not randomized and had different BD grading are the limitations of the study.CONCLUSION:In our experience,RFA had higher rate of CR-D without any serious adverse events and was less costly than PDT for endoscopic treatment of BD.     

肠型巴雷特食管危险因素临床分析

目的探讨肠型化生巴雷特食管（BE）的相关危险因素。 方法收集2017年1月至2020年1月在新疆维吾尔自治区人民医院诊治的55例肠型BE和性别、居住情况匹配的110例非肠型BE患者的临床资料,对两组患者基本状况、生活习惯以及临床病理参数进行回顾性分析,对比分析两组患者临床资料差异性,利用Logistic回归分析筛选肠型BE发生、发展相关的危险因素。 结果本院肠型BE患者检出率为3.7%（55例）,其中男性占56.4%（31例）,女性占43.6%（24例）,平均年龄为57.73±6.54岁。肠型和非肠型BE患者在年龄、体重指数（BMI）、是否伴有胃食管反流病（GERD）症状和食管裂空疝、是否有食管癌家族史、血清幽门螺旋菌（HP）感染状态以及按化生的柱状上皮长度分型差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;在吸烟、饮酒、咖啡因摄入、饮茶习惯、结肠腺瘤诊断史及BE和结直肠癌家族史等上均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。年龄≥50岁（P=0.031,OR=3.027,95%CI：1.107-8.278）、BMI＞25 kg/m²（P=0.029,OR=2.300,95%CI：1.089-4.856）和食管癌家族史（P=0.020,OR=2.420,95%CI：1.152-5.084）是肠型BE的危险因素。 结论年龄≥50岁、高BMI以及食管癌家族史是BE,尤其是肠型BE的危险因素,应加强具有上述危险因素的高危人群的健康宣传和管理,注重消化系统内镜监测,防止其发展为恶性肿瘤。