Untitled

Abstract

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is considered to be a disease of white males with a prevalence ranging from 0.5 to 4.0% in patients undergoing upper endoscopy (EGD) for any indication, and from 12 to 15% in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The prevalence of BE in Hispanics is not known, but it is assumed to be lower. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of BE in Hispanic patients and to compare demographic and endoscopic characteristics with Caucasian patients with BE. Records of patients undergoing an EGD between October 1993 and October 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were included in the study only if they had columnar-appearing esophageal mucosa at endoscopy and intestinal metaplasia with Alcian blue-staining goblet cells on biopsy. An extensive chart review was performed in patients with BE. There were 75 new cases of BE discovered: 60 (80%) were Caucasians, 6 (8%) Hispanics, 1 (1.4%) Native American, and 8 (10.6%) patients with either unknown or unconfirmed ethnicity. Of the 75 patients, 74 male, and the mean age was 65 +/- 11.4 years (range 36-92 years). The prevalence of BE in Caucasians and Hispanics undergoing EGD for any reason was similar (5.3% and 3.8%, respectively, P = 0.563). The prevalence of BE in patients presenting with GERD symptoms was also similar between Caucasians and Hispanics (25% and 16%, respectively, P = 0.304). The two groups did not differ significantly with respect to age, symptoms, habits, or endoscopic findings. In conclusion, the prevalence of BE among Hispanic patients is similar to Caucasian patients, an unexpected finding.

Prevalence of Barrett’s Esophagus in Patients with or without GERD Symptoms: Role of Race, Age, and Gender

“…However, current data regarding racial differences of BE is contradictory [12,13]. Our study data shows a trend for higher prevalence among Caucasians than African Americans and a similar prevalence among Hispanics, but no significant differences were found among different racial groups (P = 0.29).…”

“…The yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the finding of BE has been estimated to be 3-25% [5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Racial differences in the prevalence of BE are controversial [12,13]. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of BE in our patients undergoing EGD, both for chronic GERD symptoms as well as for other indications, and compare these two groups in terms of race, age, and sex.…”

Prevalence of Complicated Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Barrett’s Esophagus Among Racial Groups in a Multi-Center Consortium

“…Bersentes et al performed a retrospective review of Caucasians and Hispanics undergoing upper endoscopy for any indication at a single VA center. This study demonstrated that the two groups were similar in the prevalence of GERD symptoms and BE [15]. Furthermore, a Malaysian study has recently shown that the prevalence of BE among the diverse population of Malays, Chinese, and Indians is 6%, a figure that is similar to those of Caucasians [16].…”

Management of Reflux Symptoms with Over-the-Counter Proton Pump Inhibitors: Issues and Proposed Guidelines

“…However, as noted above, Barrett’s esophagus can equally occur without reflux symptoms [42]. Moreover, even with reflux symptoms, only 1–10% of patients have Barrett’s esophagus [43,44] and fewer than 1% of those with Barrett’s have significant epithelial dysplasia which would require routine monitoring and/or further treatment [45,46]. Arguing further against the ability to target appropriate patients for endoscopy, a recent study concluded that Barrett’s esophagus and complications such as dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma occur particularly in patients who do not present with typical reflux symptoms such as heartburn and acid reflux [38].…”