Background: Cervical inlet patch (CIP), also called gastric inlet patch, is a heterotopic columnar mucosal island located in the cervical esophagus, which has been under-recognized by clinicians.Aim: We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis to explore the prevalence and clinical and endoscopic characteristics of CIP.Materials and Methods: Studies were searched through the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. The prevalence of CIP with 95% confidence interval (CI) was pooled by using a randomeffect model. The association of CIP with demographics, clinical presentations, and endoscopic features was evaluated by odds ratios (ORs).Results: Fifty-three studies including 932,777 patients were eligible. The pooled prevalence of CIP was 3.32% (95% CI = 2.86%-3.82%). According to the endoscopic mode, the pooled prevalence of CIP was higher in studies using narrow-band imaging than in those using white light and esophageal capsule endoscopy (9.34% vs. 2.88% and 0.65%). The pooled prevalence of CIP was higher in studies where the endoscopists paid specific attention to the detection of this lesion (5.30% vs. 0.75%). CIP was significantly associated with male (