Glycogenic acanthosis of the esophagus. A benign but confusing endoscopic lesion.

During 160 consecutive fiberoptic endoscopic examinations, glycogenic acanthosis was diagnosed in 24 patients. The endoscopic diagnosis was confirmed histologically in the first 14 patients from whom biopsies were obtained. No correlation with any other disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract was found including reflux esophagitis. This common benign condition must be differentiated from lesions of similar appearance and more important prognostic significance.