[Patients with pathologic gastroesophageal reflux without erosive esophagitis: correlation of the endoscopic and histological aspect of the esophagus].

Eighty four patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux in whom endoscopy showed a normal or minimally altered esophageal mucosa (hyperemia, erythema or mucosal congestion) were prospectively studied. In each patient, two esophageal biopsies were obtained (1 and 3 cm above the mucosal change zone). Histological esophagitis was found in 28% of patients with endoscopically normal mucosa and in 26% of patients with minimal endoscopical mucosal alterations. It is concluded that the description of these minimal esophageal alterations during endoscopy is subjective, unreproducible and do not clearly indicate the presence of esophagitis. A classification of endoscopical findings is proposed, based on the presence of objective lesions such as erosions or Barrett esophagus.