Summary:
Esophagus is often unregarded, being considered only a pathway for the food. As our knowledge has been rising,
esophageal diseases become more frequently diagnosed. Gastroesophageal junction represents the region of contact
between two different types of epithelium. Exact delimitation of the border is often very difficult. Also the region
of cardia has not been yet precisely defined. The important component of the refluxate, which can impair the
esophageal mucosa, is the duodenal content. One of the elemental causes of the reflux disease is probably transient
relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is triggered by the central nervous system. When inflammatory
changes are present in cardia, gactric carditis is diagnosed. Histological changes in cardia are related to the presence
of Helicobacter pylori infection and also to the gastroesophageal reflux disease. If the aetiology of Helicobacter
pylori infection cannot be proved, non-helicobacter solitary carditis is diagnosed. Barrett´s esophagus represents
an acquired serious impairment of the esophageal mucosa. Barrett´s esophagus diagnose depends on the existence
of histological changes in the biopsy samples form eophageal mucosa. The most effective treatment of the Barrett´s
esophagus is the early and long-lasting curing of the esophagus reflux disease. The conservative curing is based on
the long-term suppression of gastric acid production by antisecretorics (most effective are inhibitors of proton pump).
Functional gastric disorders represent an important group with the most recent international classification done in
1999 (Roma II).
Key words:
gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophagitis, carditis, Barrett´s esophagus, functional gastric disorder.
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