title: Length of the esophagus in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus compared to controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is a current opinion among surgeons that the esophagus is shorter in patients with reflux disease and particularly in those with complicated Barrett's esophagus. However, objective evidence of this is scarce. Therefore we attempted to determine the occurrence and magnitude of this phenomenon among our patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ninety control subjects, 77 patients with severe erosive esophagitis, 74 with Barrett's esophagus, and 29 with complicated Barrett's esophagus (ulcer, stenosis) were grouped according to height. The length of the esophagus was determined by standard manometric study, measuring the distance from the crycopharingeal sphincter to the distal limit of the lower esophageal sphincter. Values were expressed in cm as the mean +/- SD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The esophageal length according to height was 1 to 2 cm shorter in patients compared to controls, but these differences were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences were found between patients with progressive severity of the disease. This study confirms that the presence of a so-called "short esophagus" does not exist or is not relevant in our patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, including those with complicated Barrett's esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Clinical Hospital, University of Chile, Santos Dumont 999, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Owen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Korn
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Csendes
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burdiles
authors.forename: Italo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Braghetto
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sagastume
authors.forename: Leandro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Biagini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000473:pathology*; D002299:Cardia / Q000473:pathology; D004942:Esophagitis, Peptic / Q000473:pathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies