When did the esophagus start shrinking? The history of the short esophagus

Abstract

Even though the history of this condition extends for almost 100 years, the short esophagus (SE) is still one of the most controversial topics in esophageal surgery with its existence still denied by some distinguished surgeons. We reviewed the evolution behind the diagnosis and treatment of the SE and the persons who wrote its history, from the first descriptions by radiologists, endoscopists, and surgeons to modern treatment.KEY WORDS: gastroesophageal reflux disease, hiatal hernia -history, short esophagus.

Outcomes after repair of the intrathoracic stomach: objective follow-up of up to 5 years

“…Short esophagus (SE) was described in detail by Lorstat-Jacob in 1957 [24], however the entity was first reported by Dietlien and Knierem in 1910 [25]. The very existence of this entity has been questioned [26,27].…”

Short esophagus: selection of patients for surgery and long-term results

“…On the other hand, Herbella et al [40] has an elegant publication titled ''the history of the short esophagus.'' Different theories have been proposed regarding whether the short esophagus should be described as congenital or acquired.…”

High-resolution Manometry Findings in Patients with an Intrathoracic Stomach

“…tomography, 9 sonography, 10 intraoperative detection, 11 or manometry. 3 These tests show different accuracy for the diagnosis of HH and discordant results, especially as a result of the fact that the definition of HH is still controversial, because authors have debated for more than a century 12 if the transition from the esophagus to the stomach is defined by the epithelial change (inside perspective) or by the variation in shape from tubular to the saccular organ (outside perspective). Also, provocative tests such as change in decubitus, stomach inflation and abdominal compression, and sedation are performed in some tests but not in others.…”