37. Surveillance of Barrett's oesophagus

Abstract

All major gastroenterology societies and published guidelines recommend endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett«s esophagus (BE) to detect early stage esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and subsequently improve survival. Current guidelines suggest obtaining systematic 4-quadrant biopsies at 1-2 cm intervals along the entire length of the BE segment. Surveillance every 3-5 years is recommended as adequate in patients without dysplasia after two negative examinations. If low-grade dysplasia (LGD) is found and confirmed by an expert pathologist, surveillance every 6 months is recommended until two consecutive endoscopies demonstrates no dysplasia and then increase every 2-3 years.