Gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus

Several articles have been published during the last year that may affect the management of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and/or Barrett's esophagus in the near future. A new method of measuring esophageal pH has been introduced that does not require an indwelling transnasal catheter and may allow a more physiological assessment of esophageal acid exposure. Several articles discussed the use of endoscopic antireflux procedures, and a sham-controlled randomized study was published concerning the Stretta procedure. A long-term follow-up study and a decision analysis study have again fueled the debate concerning the relevance of surveillance of Barrett's patients, whereas other studies focused on techniques that may improve the detection of specialized intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia within the Barrett's segment. Finally, several studies have reported promising results with the endoscopic treatment of Barrett's metaplasia and early neoplasia using ablation techniques or endoscopic resection modalities. This review summarizes the most important articles in the field of GERD and Barrett's esophagus that have been published in peer-reviewed journals during the last year that are relevant to the practicing endoscopist.