Gastroesophageal reflux disease

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Gastroesophageal reflux disease, abbreviated GERD, is a common pathology of the esophagus. It is also known as reflux esophagitis.

It is occasionally abbreviated GORD (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease).

General

Clinical:

  • Usually chest pain
  • +/-Abdominal pain.
  • +/-Vomiting.
  • +/-Blood loss.

Treatment:

DDx (clinical):

Gross

  • Erythema.
  • Erosions.
  • +/-Ulceration.

Note:

  • Many be graded using Savary-Miller classification.

Images:

Microscopic

Features:

  1. Basal cell hyperplasia;[1] > 3 cells thick or >15% of epithelial thickness.
  2. Papillae elongated; papillae reach into the top 1/3 of the epithelial layer.[2]
  3. Inflammation, esp. eosinophils, lymphocytes with convoluted nuclei ("squiggle cells").
  4. +/-Intraepithelial edema.
  5. +/-Apoptotic cells.[3]

Notes:

  • Intraepithelial cells with irregular nuclear contours, "squiggle cells" (T lymphocytes[4]), may mimic neutrophils.
  • Changes may be focal.
  • PPI effect may be seen in a concurrent gastric biopsy.

DDx:

Images:

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Poorly oriented

ESOPHAGUS, BIOPSY:
- SQUAMOUS MUCOSA WITH BASAL CELL HYPERPLASIA, INTRAEPITHELIAL EDEMA AND RARE INTRAEPITHELIAL 
EOSINOPHILS -- COMPATIBLE WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX.

Columnar epithelium present

ESOPHAGUS, BIOPSY:
- SQUAMOUS MUCOSA WITH BASAL CELL HYPERPLASIA, INTRAEPITHELIAL EDEMA AND RARE INTRAEPITHELIAL 
EOSINOPHILS -- COMPATIBLE WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX.
- COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM WITH MODERATE CHRONIC INACTIVE INFLAMMATION.
- NEGATIVE FOR INTESTINAL METAPLASIA.
- NEGATIVE FOR DYSPLASIA AND NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

Ulceration present

ESOPHAGUS, DISTAL, BIOPSY:
- SQUAMOUS MUCOSA WITH BASAL CELL HYPERPLASIA, INTRAEPITHELIAL EDEMA, RARE
  INTRAEPITHELIAL EOSINOPHILS AND EVIDENCE OF ULCERATION -- COMPATIBLE WITH
  GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX.
- COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM WITH MODERATE CHRONIC INACTIVE INFLAMMATION.
- NEGATIVE FOR INTESTINAL METAPLASIA.
- NEGATIVE FOR DYSPLASIA AND NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

COMMENT:
PAS-D staining is negative for microorganisms.

BE and GERD present

ESOPHAGUS (DISTAL), BIOPSY:
- COLUMNAR EPITHELIUM WITH INTESTINAL METAPLASIA AND MODERATE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION,
  SEE COMMENT.
- SQUAMOUS MUCOSA WITH BASAL CELL HYPERPLASIA, INTRAEPITHELIAL EDEMA AND RARE
  INTRAEPITHELIAL EOSINOPHILS -- COMPATIBLE WITH GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX.
- NEGATIVE FOR DYSPLASIA AND NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY.

COMMENT:
The findings are consistent with Barrett's esophagus in the appropriate endoscopic setting.

See also

References

  1. Steiner, SJ.; Kernek, KM.; Fitzgerald, JF. (May 2006). "Severity of basal cell hyperplasia differs in reflux versus eosinophilic esophagitis.". J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 42 (5): 506-9. doi:10.1097/01.mpg.0000221906.06899.1b. PMID 16707971.
  2. Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 804. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
  3. Wetscher GJ, Schwelberger H, Unger A, et al. (December 1998). "Reflux-induced apoptosis of the esophageal mucosa is inhibited in Barrett's epithelium". Am. J. Surg. 176 (6): 569–73. PMID 9926792.
  4. Cucchiara, S.; D'Armiento, F.; Alfieri, E.; Insabato, L.; Minella, R.; De Magistris, TM.; Scoppa, A. (Nov 1995). "Intraepithelial cells with irregular nuclear contours as a marker of esophagitis in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease.". Dig Dis Sci 40 (11): 2305-11. PMID 7587806.
  5. Genevay, M.; Rubbia-Brandt, L.; Rougemont, AL. (Jun 2010). "Do eosinophil numbers differentiate eosinophilic esophagitis from gastroesophageal reflux disease?". Arch Pathol Lab Med 134 (6): 815-25. doi:10.1043/1543-2165-134.6.815. PMID 20524860.