Supplementary Material for: Questionnaire-Based Survey Conducted in 2011 concerning Endoscopic Management of Barrett’s Esophagus in East Asian Countries

Background/Aims: Endoscopic definitions and management of Barrett’s esophagus vary widely among countries. To examine the current situation regarding diagnosis, epidemiology, management and treatment of Barrett’s esophagus in East Asian countries using a questionnaire-based survey. Methods: Representative members of the Committee of the International Gastrointestinal Consensus Symposium developed and sent a questionnaire to major institutions in China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Results: A total of 56 institutions in the 6 countries participated in the survey. We found that the presence of specialized columnar metaplasia is considered to be important for diagnosing Barrett’s esophagus in East Asian countries except for Japan. C&M criteria have not been well accepted in East Asia. The palisade vessels are mainly used as a landmark for the esophagogastric junction in Japan. The prevalence of long segment Barrett’s esophagus is extremely low in East Asia, while the prevalence of short segment Barrett’s esophagus is very high only in Japan, likely due to different diagnostic criteria. Conclusion: Among East Asian countries, we found both similarities and differences regarding diagnosis and management of Barrett’s esophagus. The findings in the present survey are helpful to understand the current situation of Barrett’s esophagus in East Asian countries.

背景与目的：巴雷特食管（Barrett’s esophagus）的内镜定义与诊疗方案在各国存在显著差异。本研究旨在通过问卷调查，探究东亚国家巴雷特食管的诊断、流行病学特征、诊疗管理现状。
研究方法：国际胃肠共识研讨会委员会的代表性成员编制了调查问卷，并将其发放至中国、韩国、日本、泰国、印度尼西亚及菲律宾的主要医疗机构。
研究结果：上述6个国家共有56家医疗机构参与了本次调查。结果显示，除日本外，东亚各国均将特异性柱状上皮化生作为巴雷特食管诊断的关键依据；C&M诊断标准尚未在东亚地区得到广泛认可。日本主要将栅栏状血管作为食管胃交界的内镜定位标志。东亚地区长节段巴雷特食管的患病率极低，而仅日本的短节段巴雷特食管患病率极高，这可能与各国采用的诊断标准不同有关。
结论：本次调查发现，东亚各国在巴雷特食管的诊断与诊疗管理方面既存在共性也存在差异。本研究结果有助于深入了解东亚地区巴雷特食管的临床现状。