The relationship between reflux symptoms and glycogenic acanthosis lesions of the oesophagus

Abstract

Introduction: Glycogenic acanthosis (GA) is a benign, polypoid lesion frequently seen in upper endoscopy with little known aetiology. Information about how it occurs and its clinical significance is lacking.

Aim: In this study, the relationship between GA and reflux symptoms was investigated in patients who underwent endoscopy due to reflux symptoms.

Material and methods: Sixty patients undergoing endoscopy for reflux symptoms and 60 controls without reflux symptoms were included in the study. Among the patients with reflux symptoms, two groups were formed: GA group 1 (n = 30) and non-GA group 2 (n = 30).

Results: The mean age of all patients participating in the study was 44.65 ±15.54 years; in group 1 it was 52.56 ±10.90 years and in group 2 it was 39.40 ±13.87 years. The mean age of group 1 patients was statistically significantly higher than that of group 2 patients (p < 0.05). The incidence of GA was higher in group 1 than in the control group (p = 0.001). In the reflux group, group 1 and group 2 were compared in terms of oesophagitis; group 1 had a higher incidence of oesophagitis (p < 0.05). In the reflux group, in those with GA, the risk of oesophagitis was 6.6 times higher than among those without GA (OR = 6.571; 95% CI: 2.109-20.479).

Conclusions: We think that GA is associated with advanced age, reflux disease, and oesophagitis in our study.

Keywords: esophagitis; gastroesophageal reflux; glycogenic acanthosis.

Figure 1

Endoscopic appearance of glycogenic acanthosis lesions