Glycogenic acanthosis of the esophagus and gastroesophageal reflux.

A nodular appearance of the esophageal mucosa, observed in 3.5% of 2,328 consecutive upper endoscopic examinations, most commonly appeared as multiple, uniformly sized, oval or round elevations usually < 1 cm, involving otherwise normal esophageal mucosa. Endoscopic biopsies in 35 consecutive patients followed prospectively demonstrated the nodules to represent glycogenic acanthosis--a combination of cellular hyperplasia and increased cellular glycogen. When studied by 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring, 83% of these patients had pathologic gastroesophageal acid reflux; mean percentage of time with pH < 4.0 was 37.3%. Antireflux therapy improved symptoms in all patients but failed to eradicate the lesions of glycogenic acanthosis. Although its etiology and pathogenesis still remain elusive, glycogenic acanthosis may be related to gastroesophageal reflux.