A Rare Case of Bleeding Epiphrenic Esophageal Diverticulum From Arteriovenous Malformations

Epiphrenic esophageal diverticula (EED) is a rare condition that usually presents with dysphagia in patients with a known motility disorder. In this article, we present a unique case of EED presenting with hemoptysis with clinical workup negative for any pulmonary pathology. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed arteriovenous malformations within the EED successfully managed with argon plasma coagulation (APC), leading to a resolution of the patient’s symptoms.

Esophageal disease among childhood cancer survivors-A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivors Study

There is limited information addressing the occurrence of esophageal strictures among the growing population of survivors of childhood cancer. Using the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, we analyzed data from 17,121 5-year survivors and 3400 siblings to determine the prevalence and risk factors for esophageal strictures. Prevalence among survivors was 2.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-2.2%), representing a 7.6-fold increased risk compared to siblings. Factors significantly associated with risk of esophageal stricture included diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, greater chest radiation dose, younger age at cancer diagnosis, platinum chemotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. While uncommon, survivors are at risk for therapy-related esophageal strictures.

The role of diet in the development and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: why we feel the burn

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common esophageal disorder that is characterized by troublesome symptoms associated with increased esophageal acid exposure. Cornerstones of therapy include acid suppressive agents like proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and lifestyle modifications including dietary therapy, although the latter is not well defined. As concerns regarding long term PPI use continue to be explored, patients and providers are becoming increasingly interested in the role of diet in disease management. The following is a review of dietary therapy for GERD with an emphasis on the effect food components have on pathophysiology and management. Although sequential dietary elimination of food groups is common, literature supports broader manipulation including reduction of overall sugar intake, increase in dietary fiber, and changes in overall eating practices.

Treatment of newly-diagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease: a nationwide register-based cohort study

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients registered with a GERD-diagnosis as part of evaluation with endoscopy using national Danish registers. Methods: The study population included all adults undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in Denmark from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2015, who within 90 days received a diagnosis of GERD. We obtained nationwide data from The National Patient Registry on procedures (endoscopy and anti-reflux surgery) and diagnosis (GERD diagnosis and comorbidity), The Danish National Prescription Registry on the use of anti-reflux medication and ulcerogenic drugs, and The National Civil Registry on death and civil status. The primary outcome was a type of treatment of GERD within two years of primary endoscopy defined as either no treatment, medical treatment alone, surgical treatment alone or both medical and surgical treatment. Results: A total of 36,292 patients were included in the study. Endoscopies were performed without biopsies in 67.5% (n = 24,479) of cases. The majority (66.3%, n = 24,077) was registered as GERD with esophagitis. After initial endoscopy, 10.6% (n = 3862) received no pharmacological or surgical treatment for GERD within two years of follow-up, 87.5% (n = 31,761) received only pharmacological treatment, 0.1% (n = 50) received only surgical treatment and 1.7% (n = 619) received a combination of pharmacological and surgical treatment. Conclusion: Patients referred to investigation with endoscopy and diagnosed with GERD in Denmark are primarily treated with pharmacological anti-reflux treatment within the first two years with PPI being the primary agent. Only a small fraction of patients is treated surgically.

Current status of gastroesophageal reflux disease : diagnosis and treatment

AIMS

The aim of this study was to explore the recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

METHODS

Previous studies were searched using the terms "gastroesophageal reflux disease" and "diagnosis" or "treatment" in Medline and Pubmed. Articles that were not published in the English language, manuscripts without an abstract, reviews, meta-analysis, and opinion articles were excluded from the review. After a preliminary screening, all of the articles were reviewed and synthesized to provide an overview of the contemporary approaches to GERD.

RESULTS

GERD has a variety of symptomatic manifestations, which can be grouped into typical, atypical and extra-esophageal symptoms. Those with the highest specificity for GERD are acid regurgitation and heartburn. In the absence of other alarming symptoms, these symptoms allow one to make a presumptive diagnosis of GERD and initiate empiric therapy. GERD-associated complications include erosive esophagitis, peptic stricture, Barrett's esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma and pulmonary disease. Management of GERD may involve lifestyle modifications, medical and surgical therapy. Medical therapy involves acid suppression, which can be achieved with antacids, histamine-receptor antagonists or proton-pump inhibitors. Whereas most patients can be effectively managed with medical therapy, others may go on to require anti-reflux surgery after undergoing a proper pre-operative evaluation.

CONCLUSION

The management of this disease requires a complex approach. Maintenance therapy of GERD after using anti-secretory drugs should be continuously monitored.

Endoscopic versus surgical therapy for Barrett's esophagus neoplasia

Esophagectomy has been the traditional therapy for high-grade dysplasia and intramucosal cancer. Though surgery can completely resect the cancer and the affected lymph nodes, it carries significant morbidity and mortality (often exceeds 2%). New developments in endoscopy have provided less-invasive therapies that can also be used to stage tissue invasion of cancer; they include esophageal mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection. Additional endoscopic therapies include photodynamic therapy, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and argon plasma coagulation. Combining EMR that targets the cancer and RFA that targets the surrounding Barrett's esophagus offers an alternative to the operative approach when there is no lymph node metastasis. Arguments for surgical esophagectomy include concern for missed lymph node metastasis and incomplete endoscopic resection. Based on EMR's high neoplasia eradication rate and its fewer and more manageable complications, EMR, especially when combined with RFA, appears to be a viable alternative to surgery in early submucosal cancers, that is, sm1.

Explaining the increased health care expenditures associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cost-decomposition analysis

OBJECTIVE

To estimate excess health care expenditures associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) among elderly individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and examine the contribution of predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, need variables, personal health care practices, and external environment factors to the excess expenditures, using the Blinder-Oaxaca linear decomposition technique.

METHODS

This study utilized a cross-sectional, retrospective study design, using data from multiple years (2006-2009) of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey linked with fee-for-service Medicare claims. Presence of COPD and GERD was identified using diagnoses codes. Health care expenditures consisted of inpatient, outpatient, prescription drugs, dental, medical provider, and other services. For the analysis, t-tests were used to examine unadjusted subgroup differences in average health care expenditures by the presence of GERD. Ordinary least squares regressions on log-transformed health care expenditures were conducted to estimate the excess health care expenditures associated with GERD. The Blinder-Oaxaca linear decomposition technique was used to determine the contribution of predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, need variables, personal health care practices, and external environment factors, to excess health care expenditures associated with GERD.

RESULTS

Among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with COPD, 29.3% had co-occurring GERD. Elderly Medicare beneficiaries with COPD/GERD had 1.5 times higher ($36,793 vs $24,722 [P<0.001]) expenditures than did those with COPD/no GERD. Ordinary least squares regression revealed that individuals with COPD/GERD had 36.3% (P<0.001) higher expenditures than did those with COPD/no GERD. Overall, 30.9% to 43.6% of the differences in average health care expenditures were explained by differences in predisposing characteristics, enabling resources, need variables, personal health care practices, and external environment factors between the two groups. Need factors explained up to 41% of the differences in average health care expenditures between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Among elderly Medicare beneficiaries with COPD, the presence of GERD was associated with higher expenditures. Need factors primarily contributed to the differences in average health care expenditures, suggesting that the comanagement of chronic conditions may reduce excess health care expenditures associated with GERD.

The changing pattern of upper gastro-intestinal lesions in southern Saudi Arabia: an endoscopic study

BACKGROUND/AIM

Dyspepsia is a common gastrointestinal disorder and is the most common indication for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE). In recent years, it has been observed in several centers that there is a change in the causes of dyspepsia as revealed by UGIE. Our main objectives were: (1) To study the pattern of upper gastrointestinal pathology in patients with dyspepsia undergoing upper endoscopy; (2) Compare that with the pattern seen 10-15 years earlier in different areas of KSA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective study of all UGI endoscopies performed at Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, Southern Saudi Arabia during the years 2005-2007 on patients above 13 years of age. Patients who underwent UGIE for reasons other than dyspepsia were excluded. The analysis was performed using the SPSS 14 statistical package.

RESULTS

A total of 1,607 patients underwent UGI endoscopy during the three-year study period (age range, 15-100). There were 907 males (56.4%) and 700 female (43.6%). Normal findings were reported on 215 patients (14%) and the majority had gastritis (676 = 42%), of whom 344 had gastritis with ulcer disease. Moreover, 242 patients (15%) had gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD), with or without esophagitis or hiatus hernia. Also, a total of 243 patients had duodenal ulcer (DU) (15%) while only 12 had gastric ulcer (0.7%).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

There is clear change in the frequency of UGIE lesions detected recently compared to a decade ago with an increasing prevalence of reflux esophagitis and hiatus hernia. This could be attributed to changes in lifestyle and dietary habits such as more consumption of fat and fast food, increased prevalence of obesity, and smoking. These problems should be addressed in order to minimize the serious complications of esophageal diseases.