Sessile serrated adenomas: demographic, endoscopic and pathological characteristics.

Aim: To study the demographic and endoscopic characteristics of patients with sessile serrated adenoma (SSA) in a single center.

Methods: Patients with SSA were identified by review of the pathology database of Mayo Clinic Arizona from 2005 to 2007. A retrospective chart review was performed to extract data on demographics, polyp characteristics, presence of synchronous adenomatous polyps or cancer, polypectomy methods, and related complications.

The effect of auditory stress on perception of intraesophageal acid in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background & Aims: Most patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) report that stress exacerbates their symptoms, yet mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown. We sought to determine the effect of an acute laboratory stressor on perceptual and emotional responses to intraesophageal acid perfusion in healthy controls and patients with GERD.

Methods: Forty-six patients with heartburn and 10 healthy controls underwent upper endoscopy and, if negative, pH monitoring.

Functional heartburn patients demonstrate traits of functional bowel disorder but lack a uniform increase of chemoreceptor sensitivity to acid.

Background: Functional heartburn (FH) patients have a profound impact on the response to anti-reflux therapy of the nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) group as compared to the response of the erosive esophagitis group. Thus far, there is paucity of information about their physiological and clinical characteristics that may separate them from the other NERD patients.

Aim: To compare physiological and clinical characteristics of patients with FH to their counterparts within the NERD group (NERD-positive [NERD+]).