Sloughing esophagitis: a spectacular histologic and endoscopic disease without a uniform clinical correlation.

Sloughing esophagitis, also currently known as esophagitis dissecans superficialis, is a degenerative disease of the squamous epithelium characterized by superficial epithelial necrosis with parakeratosis, but without inflammation, and detachment of the superficial necrotic zone from the deep viable zone. This leads to a spectacular endoscopic appearance of sloughed mucosa in streaks and patches. The cause is unknown, and the clinical characteristics are variable, ranging from incidentally findings to esophageal symptoms. The disease seems to be self-limited, as resolution of the changes was observed in the few cases for which follow-up endoscopic examinations have been reported.