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. 2002 Dec;17(4):245-8.
doi: 10.3904/kjim.2002.17.4.245.

Endoscopically observed lower esophageal capillary patterns

Do Won Choi  1 , Seong Nam Oh, Soo Jung Baek, Soo Hyun Ahn, Yun Jung Chang, Won Seok Jeong, Hyo Jung Kim, Jong Eun Yeon, Jong Jae Park, Jae Seon Kim, Kwan Soo Byun, Young Tae Bak, Chang Hong Lee
Affiliations

Endoscopically observed lower esophageal capillary patterns

Do Won Choi et al. Korean J Intern Med. 2002 Dec.

Abstract

Background: It has been reported that there are four zones of distinct venous patterns around the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ); i.e. truncal, perforating, palisade (PZ) and gastric zones. Using the distal end of PZ as a marker for GEJ, this study was done to assess the length and patterns of PZ in Koreans, and to assess the prevalence of endoscopic Barrett's esophagus (E-BE) and hiatal hernia (E-HH).

Methods: 847 consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic endoscopy were included. During endoscopy, PZ, squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) and pinchcock action (PCA) were identified. Patterns were classified according to the relationships of the distal end of PZ with SCJ and PCA; A: all three at the same level, B: SCJ proximal to the other two which are at the same level, C: PCA distal to the other two which are at the same level, D: SCJ proximal to the distal end of PZ which is proximal to PCA. Cases with patterns B and D were thought to have E-BE, and those with patterns C and D to have E-HH.

Results: Patterns A, B, C and D were 79.2%, 12.1%, 3.8% and 4.9%, respectively. Length of PZ was 3.0 +/- 0.1 cm. E-BE and E-HH were found in 17.0% and 8.7%, respectively. Both E-BE and E-HH were more frequently found in males and in cases with reflux esophagitis.

Conclusion: E-BE and E-HH are not so infrequent in Koreans as previously thought, if we use the distal end of PZ as an endoscopic marker of GEJ.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Endoscopically observed lower esophageal capillary patterns. Patterns were classified according to the relationships of the distal end of palisade zone (PZ) with the squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) and the site of pinchcock action (PCA); A: all three were at the same level, B: SCJ was proximal to the other two which are at the same level, C: PCA was distal to the other two which were at the same level, D: SCJ was proximal to the distal end of PZ which was proximal to PCA.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Lengths of palisade zone (PZ), endoscopic Barrett’s esophagus (E-BE), and endoscopic hiatal hernia (E-HH) according to age in years. The length of PZ did not increase with age. However, the lengths of E-BE and E-HH showed increasing tendency with age, but their correlation coefficients were low.
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