When Endoscopy Is Striking but Biopsy Is Reassuring: Extensive Esophageal Mucosal Sloughing

Abstract

A 63-year-old woman, asymptomatic from a gastrointestinal standpoint, with a history of anxiety-depressive disorder treated with multiple psychiatric medications, was referred for gastric cancer screening because of a family history of the disease. During upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, the esophageal mucosa showed extensive laminar sloughing, whitish exudate, and a trachealized appearance throughout its entire length (Figure 1). No abnormalities were observed in the stomach or duodenum. Random biopsies of the esophageal mucosa were obtained.