ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Isolated heterotopic gastric mucosa of the upper esophagus(HGME), often referred to as inlet patch, is an asyptomatic benign lesion. It may, however, cause retrosternal chest pain and dysphagea, and rarely produce complications such as ulceration and stricture. It may be suspected on characteristic finding of endoscopy, and the diagnosis is usually proved by biposy. We studied several characteristics of HGME. METHOD: From January 1996 to May 1997, endoscopy was performed on 2000 consecutive patients (1068 male, 932 female). HGME was seen 25 patients(12 male, 13 female) among 2000 patients. RESULT: Prevalence of HGME is 1.25%. There was no significant difference of the prevalence of HGME between male and female. HGME was presented as a velvety and salmon-pink patch with a distict border from the normally pale squamous cell mucosa of the esophagus, and was seen as multiple lesions in 8 patients among 25 patients. Thirty three locailzed gastric mucosal patches, varying in size 3 mm to 30 mm in the longest diameter, were detected within or just below of upper esophageal spincter in all the twenty five patients. Biopsy specimens taken from the miucosal patches demonstrated gastric mucosa. Among 25 patients with HGME, four patients complained foreign body sensation on throat or heartburn, without other diseases such as GERD, gastritis or peptic ulcer. CONCLUSION: Further studies of a large scale about pathogenesis, prevalence, and complication of HGME will be required.