Published online Nov 26, 2018. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i14.753
Peer-review started: July 13, 2018
First decision: July 24, 2018
Revised: September 4, 2018
Accepted: October 17, 2018
Article in press: October 16, 2018
Published online: November 26, 2018
Processing time: 136 Days and 21.3 Hours
To investigate the benefits of the Seattle protocol in the diagnosis of Chinese individuals with Barrett’s esophagus.
Subjects enrolled were patients from one center with endoscopically-suspected esophageal metaplasia. These patients first received narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy, and later, the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy, within a period from October 2012 to December 2014. Those cases without initial pathologic patterns of intestinal metaplasia (IM) and then appearance or loss of IM tissue were designated as Group A or B, respectively. Those with initial pathologic patterns of IM, which then persisted or were lost were designated as Group C or D, respectively.
The number of cases for each group was as follows: A: 20, B: 78, C: 31 and D: 14. The distribution of the Prague criteria M levels of Group A was significantly higher than Group B (P = 0.174). Among these groups, Group C had the highest proportions of hiatus hernia (54.8%), long segment Barrett’s esophagus (29%), and also the highest Prague criteria M levels. The sensitivity of IM detection was 69.2% for the narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy and 78.5% for the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy. The difference was not significant (P = 0.231). The number of detectable dysplasias increased from one case via the NBI-target biopsy to five cases via the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy, including one case of adenocarcinoma.
The Seattle protocol improved the IM detection in our subjects with higher Prague criteria M levels and disclosed more cases with dysplastic tissues.
Core tip: While comparing the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus in a Chinese population via narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy or the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy, the sensitivity of intestinal metaplasia detection was 69.2% and 78.5%, respectively. The number of detectable dysplasias increased from one case via the narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy to five cases via the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy. These results concluded that the Seattle protocol identified more cases with dysplastic tissues.