Diagnostic features of glycogenic acanthosis of the esophagus on air-contrast radiography, endoscopy, and histopathologic studies in 10 selected cases are presented. Glycogenic acanthosis of the esophagus is a common benign entity, characterized by multifocal plaques of hyperplastic squamous epithelium with abundant intracellular glycogen deposits. At esophagoscopy or on autopsy specimens these lesions appear as slightly raised grey-white plaques which are usually 2-10 mm in diameter and may be confluent. They cause a finely nodular or cobblestone mucosal pattern demonstrable on double-contrast views of the well-distended esophagus. The findings are not associated with mucosal ulcerations, luminal narrowing, or mobility disturbance, although some patients may have coexistent hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux.

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The authors recently encountered a patient with omental anisakiasis who presented with features of acute appendicitis and who made an uneventful recovery following resection of an inflammatory omental mass containing the larva(e). Anisakiasis refers to infestation of humans by species of marine nematode larvae belonging to the subfamily Anisakinae. Although this condition is rarely reported in the United States, it has been well described both in Holland and in the Orient. Several publications in the Japanese literature have detailed the morphology of the parasite and the clinical symptoms of infestation. The source of infestation is most often raw or uncooked fish, the latter widely enjoyed as a foodstuff in the Orient, but less popular in the United States. With the growing popularity of "sushi" bars and the increasing numbers of Americans developing a taste for raw fish, this condition may become more prevalent in the future.