title: [Endoscopic argon plasma thermo-coagulation of Barrett's esophagus using different powers: histopathological and post procedure symptons analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the ideal power to be employed in order to get the effective ablation and the lowest rate of symptoms at argon plasma thermocoagulation in Barrett's esophagus (BE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight asymptomatic patients with BE, were randomly divided in two groups of different ablation powers, 50W or 70W. After endoscopic ablation and biopsies from the treated area for histological analyses, symptoms were evaluated through a questionnaire answered by phone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients without specialized columnar metaplasia were excluded and the remaining fifteen patients, seven men (46,7%) and eight women (53,3%), with an average age of 53 years +10,4, composed the two groups: 10 patients at the 70W power and 5 at the 50W power group. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding age, BE extent, percentage of coagulated esophageal circumference and the duration of symptoms. Pain was the most important symptom, with a mean duration of 10,3 + 9,7 days. When power was compared to symptoms, although not statistically significant, a moderate negative correlation was noted. Endoscopic biopsies showed ablation restricted to the mucosa's superficial layer in 40% of the cases in the lower power group, and only 10% in the higher power group, although deeper layers of the mucosa were compromised. There were no statistical significant differences when comparing the different powers to the penetration through the mucosa's layers and the symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are evidences that the 70W potency argon plasma coagulation for BE leads to a lower incidence of residual specialized columnar metaplasia under the new scamous epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Clínica Cirúrgica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brasil. anpucci@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Vanessa Puccinelli
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Dotti
authors.forename: Giorgio Alfredo Pedroso
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Baretta
authors.forename: Sérgio Ossamu
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Yoshii
authors.forename: Flávio Heuta
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Ivano
authors.forename: Hugo Daniel Welter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Jorge Eduardo Fouto
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Matias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D054020:Lasers, Gas / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies