2 Defined as the change in the lining of the distal esophagus, BE can be recognized with endoscopy and be documented by the presence of goblet cells and other criteria for intestinal metaplasia (IM) in biopsies taken during endoscopy.3 Hiatus hernia,

obesity, and presence of helicobacter pylori in the gastrointestinal tract are some of the risk factors for BE.4 These factors are SKI606 believed to amplify Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical BE by increasing acid reflux. Many gastroenterologists make the diagnosis of BE via endoscopy and confirm it with the presence of IM in biopsies obtained from the esophagus.2 The criterion for endoscopy is the presence of chronic GERD after the consumption of proton-pump inhibitors or acid suppressors Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical for at least 4 weeks.5 The association between BE and adenocarcinoma is the principal factor that drives physicians to evaluate GERD patients endoscopically.6-9 In terms of prevalent, BE is found in 2% of the adult population and 3-5% of GERD patients.2 The overall prevalence of BE in patients

with chronic GERD is between 3 and 12%.6,8,9 The prevalence of BE has been reported mostly from gastroenterology centers, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and there have been a few reported cases from outpatients with dyspepsia. The likelihood of the coexistence between GERD and dyspepsia in a large number of patients highlights the need to evaluate dyspeptic patients for BE.8 Endoscopy is widely used for diagnosing BE; be that as it may, the exact risk factors of BE and efficacy of endoscopy in diagnosing BE have yet to be fully elucidated. This present report was aimed specifically at determining the prevalence of BE in dyspeptic outpatients and exploring the potential risk factors for its presence. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical It also sought Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to determine the efficacy of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy for BE diagnosis in a selected population. Patients and Methods This is a prospective study on the outpatients of our Gastrointestinal Clinic. The study population comprised patients who were over 18 years old and had a primary complaint of dyspepsia of at least 3 months’ duration

(intermittent or continuous). The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Kashan University of Medical Sciences and was conducted between 2007 and 2011. Dyspepsia through was defined as a complex of discomfort or pain in the epigastric region (with or without acid regurgitation), excessive burping or belching, abdominal bloating, early satiety, or feeling of abnormal or slow digestion or heartburn.8 A documented history of upper GI surgery, clinical investigation of dyspepsia by endoscopy or radiology (in the previous 6 months) or on more than two occasions in the past 10 years, and use of proton-pump inhibitors within 30 days or H2-receptor antagonists within 14 days of enrolment were the exclusion criteria of the present study.