Global variations in diagnostic guidelines for Barrett's esophagus.

Endoscopic diagnosis of gastroesophageal junction and Barrett's esophagus is essential for surveillance and early detection of esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophagogastric junction cancer. Despite its small size, the gastroesophageal junction has many inherent problems, including marked differences in diagnostic methods for Barrett's esophagus in international guidelines. To define Barrett's esophagus, gastroesophageal junction location should be clarified. Although gastric folds and palisade vessels are landmarks for identifying this junction, they are sometimes difficult to observe due to air entry or reflux esophagitis. The possibility of diagnosing a malignancy associated with Barrett's esophagus <1 cm, identified using palisade vessels, should be re-examined. Nontargeted biopsies of Barrett's esophagus are commonly used to detect intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and cancer as described in the Seattle protocol. Barrett's esophagus with intestinal metaplasia has a high risk of becoming cancerous. Furthermore, the frequency of cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus without intestinal metaplasia is high, and the guidelines differ on whether to include the presence of intestinal metaplasia in the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus. Use of advanced imaging technologies, including narrow-band imaging with magnifying endoscopy and linked color imaging, is reportedly valid for diagnosing Barrett's esophagus. Furthermore, artificial intelligence has facilitated the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus through its deep learning and image recognition capabilities. However, it is necessary to first use the endoscopic definition of the gastroesophageal junction, which is common in all countries, and then elucidate the characteristics of Barrett's esophagus in each region, for example, length differences in the risk of carcinogenesis with and without intestinal metaplasia.

Rising prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in a westernized multi-ethnic Asian community.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Singapore is a multi-ethnic country that has undergone rapid development over the last few decades, with increasing influence of western culture, and faces an aging population. Previously, a varying prevalence of colonic diverticulosis (CD) was reported by a few small studies. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of CD in Singapore and identify associations with common gastrointestinal symptoms and risk factors. METHODS: We reviewed retrospective data of 20 395 consecutive colonoscopies performed from 2006 to 2016 for presence of CD and indications of screening, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. RESULTS: The prevalence of CD progressively increased from 2006 to 2016 (14.9% vs 23.9%, adjusted trend < 0.001), with an overall prevalence of 19.6%. Patients with CD were older and had higher body mass index (BMI). CD was significantly more prevalent in Chinese compared with Malay and Indian races (20.5% vs 18.9% vs 15.5%, P < 0.05), and in male patients compared with female patients (21.5% vs 17.6%, P < 0.05). Right-sided CD was more common than left-sided or pan diverticulosis (16.2% vs 8.3% vs 4.8%, P < 0.05). Age [odds ratio (OR), 1.060; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.052-1.068], BMI (OR, 1.051; 95% CI, 1.028-1.075), male gender (OR, 1.317; 95% CI, 1.084-1.600), and abdominal pain (OR, 1.409; 95% CI, 1.168-1.699) were positively associated, while constipation (OR, 0.566; 95% CI, 0.452-0.709) was negatively associated with CD. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CD in Singapore has progressively increased over the last decade and is associated with older age, higher BMI, and abdominal pain. These findings may provide insights for healthcare resource planning in the region.

Challenges to diagnostic standardization of Barrett's esophagus in Asia.

Barrett's esophagus (BE), a premalignant condition of the lower esophagus, is increasingly prevalent in Asia. However, endoscopic and histopathological criteria vary widely between studies across Asia, making it challenging to assess comparability between geographical regions. Furthermore, guidelines from various societies worldwide provide differing viewpoints and definitions, leading to diagnostic challenges that affect prognostication of the condition. In this review, the authors discuss the controversies surrounding the diagnosis of BE, particularly in Asia. Differences between guidelines worldwide are summarized with further discussion regarding various classifications of BE used, different definitions of gastroesophageal junction used across geographical regions and the clinical implications of intestinal metaplasia in the setting of BE. Although many guidelines recommend the Seattle protocol as the preferred approach regarding dysplasia surveillance in BE, some limitations exist, leading to poor adherence. Newer technologies, such as acetic acid-enhanced magnification endoscopy, narrow band imaging, Raman spectroscopy, molecular approaches and the use of artificial intelligence appear promising in addressing these problems, but further studies are required before implementation into routine clinical practice. The Asian Barrett's Consortium also outlines its ongoing plans to tackle the challenge of standardizing the diagnosis of BE in Asia.