Proposed approach to the challenging management of progressive gastroesophageal reflux disease

Table 1 Hallmarks of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients with and without cardiac mucosa on biopsies of the gastroesophageal junction

	Findings on multiple biopsies of the GEJ
	No cardiac epithelium (n = 88)	Cardiac epithelium (n = 246)	P
% time pH < 4	1.1 ± 4.6	6.0 ± 7.4	< 0.01
% hiatal hernia	25	55.1	< 0.01
LES pressure (mmHg)	13.2 ± 12.8	8.0 ± 8.0	< 0.01
LES abdominal length (mm)	1.6 ± 1.1	1.0 ± 1.2	< 0.01
LES overall length (mm)	3.0 ± 1.2	2.2 ± 1.6	< 0.01
% defective LES	27.2	62.3	< 0.01
% esophagitis	11.2	33.2	< 0.01

Values are medians ± interquartile range unless otherwise stated. Data are from Oberg et al[27]. GEJ: Gastroesophageal junction; LES: Lower esophageal sphincter.