Endoscopic cryotherapy for Barrett's esophagus; a report of 22 cases / 中华消化内镜杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of endoscopic cryotherapy for Barrett's esophagus (BE). Methods A total of 22 consecutive patients, who were diagnosed as BE from January 2008 to May 2009, underwent endoscopic cryotherapy by using pressurized gas of C02. The data including effective rate, therapy courses and procedure related complications were retrospectively analyzed.Results Except for 2 cases of withdrawal, the other 20 patients completed the treatment with a total therapy number of 42 times (mean 2. 1 times/patient) and were followed up for 6 months. Complete histologic reversal of BE mucus was achieved in all 20 patients after 1-3 times of cryotherapy, among whom complete endoscopic reversal was obtained in 9 and effective endoscopic reversal in 11. Histologic recurrence was observed in 3 cases during the follow-up, including 2 of occult intestinal metaplasia and 1 of mild intestinal metaplasia, which achieved a BE mucosal reversal rate of 85% (17/20). Procedure related complications included 1 case of esophageal ulcer and 3 cases of mild or severe esophagitis, which were all cured after acid suppression treatment. Conclusion Endoscopic cryotherapy in BE is effective and safe, with the advantages of easy manipulation, less complications and good compliances.