AİM: To determine the frequency, demographic and clinical features of the heterotopic gastric mucosa (inlet patch). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study involves 244 patients who applied to the gastroenterology outpatient clinic with different symptoms between September 2016 and December 2019, and who were diagnosed with inlet patch in elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy. All endoscopic procedures were performed by the same clinical endoscopist. All medical records of patients including demographic and clinical features and endoscopy findings were reviewed. RESULTS: Considering 2823 patients who underwent elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy in the same study period, inlet patch was detected in 224 (8.6%). 56.6% of the patients diagnosed with inlet patch were male and there was no statistical difference between the two genders. The mean age of the patients was 37.73 ± 13.01 years. 83.6% of the patients had only one lesion, and 58.2% had a lesion larger than 1 cm, with the largest one being 4.5 cm. Size of the smallest lesion was 0.3 cm. All of the lesions were in the proximal esophagus. 54 patients (22.1%) had at least one supraesophageal or upper esophageal symptom. The most common symptom was globus sensation (64.8%). Patients with large lesions were more likely to experience symptoms (28.2% vs. 13.7%, p=0.008). CONCLUSION: Careful examination of the proximal esophagus may increase the chance of detecting inlet patch and may explain persistent symptoms in patients without a specific cause. Further understanding of the clinical significance of the disease may also prevent unnecessary diagnostic interventions.

Background and aims : Colorectal cancers are one of the most common types of cancer. Gastric intestinal metaplasia is considered a precancerous lesion that can progress into gastric cancer. Even though there are previous publications stating that Helicobacter pylori and intestinal metaplasia are related to colorectal adenomas, there are also studies stating the opposite. This study aims to determine the relationship between gastric intestinal metaplasia and colorectal neoplasia. Methods: A total of 214 patients between the ages of 19 and 92 who underwent combined gastroscopy and colonoscopy between August 2016 and April 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Medical records including demographic data, gastroscopy and colonoscopy findings and histopathology results of the patients were reviewed and analyzed. The association of intestinal metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori infection with colorectal neoplasia was evaluated in these patients. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 49.07±15.80, and 125 (58.4%) of the patients were male. A statistically significant correlation was found between intestinal metaplasia and colon neoplasm prevalence (p= 0.03). However, such a correlation was not seen between Helicobacter pylori and colon neoplasia. Conclusion: A positive correlation was found between gastric intestinal metaplasia, which is a precancerous lesion, and colon neoplasia. Even though this correlation indicates higher prevalence rates of colon neoplasia in patients with gastric intestinal metaplasia, how to evaluate these patients in terms of colon neoplasia remains a controversial issue.