Barrett's Esophagus: A Comparison Study between Two Cohorts of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Barrett's esophagus is a common condition in which the flat pink lining of the esophagus becomes damaged by acid reflux, which causes the lining to thicken and become red. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is seen among 15% of gastroesophageal reflux disease patients. Barrett's has malignant potential and annual progression to carcinoma depends on the presence or absence of dysplasia.

Researchers in this cross sectional study compared two symptomatic cohorts of gastroesophageal reflux disease patients from the same geographical area who were evaluated for the presence of Barrett's esophagus and various factors that can contribute to this.

Two gastroesophageal reflux disease cohorts, one from Kottayam and the other from Trivandrum were taken. The presence of Barrett's and the factors contributing to the development of Barrett's were analyzed between the two groups.

A total of 415 patients were enrolled for the study. 192 females, and 223 males and it was found that Barrett's esophagus and especially long-segment Barrett's were significantly more common in Kottayam than Trivandrum. Also, the duration of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms was significantly more in the Trivandrum cohort compared to Kottayam. Hiatus hernia and body mass index (BMI) were more common in Kottayam.

Hence, it was concluded that though both Trivandrum and Kottayam belong to the same geographical area and are separated by a distance of only 150 km. The Kottayam cohort is more prone to develop distal esophageal carcinoma as the Barrett's esophagus is more in Kottayam.

Reference: Devadas K, George B, Varghese J, et al. Barrett's Esophagus: A Comparison Study between Two Cohorts of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. J Assoc Physicians India 2022;70(10):17–20.