High Definition Endoscopy With NBI. Contribution in Patients With Non-erosive Esophagitis

Most patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have a normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Attempts have been made to define new endoscopic techniques for identification of abnormalities non detected in standard endoscopic exam. The high definition endoscopy with NBI could achieve a more detailed mucosal evaluation, allowing distal esophageal microerosions identification. The objective was validate the presence and the meaning of distal esophageal mucosal microerosions using high definition endoscopy and NBI through esophageal biopsy in gastroesophageal reflux disease symptomatic patients and the association with GERD physiopathology. Seventy patients were selected from the gastroenterology outpatient clinic (University of Sao Paulo Hospital) Endoscopic evaluation was sequentially performed after the pHmetry and esophageal manometry. Esophageal mucosal biopsies were obtained following established protocol for histological and immunohistochemical study.