It is highly prevalent in North America with 18% to 28% of the population suffering from the condition. Occasional gastroesophageal reflux without troublesome symptoms or complications is even more common. The classic symptoms of GERD were first described in 1925, when Friedenwald and Feldman commented on heartburn and its possible relationship to a hiatal hernia. In 1934 gastroenterologist Asher Winkelstein described reflux and attributed the symptoms to stomach acid. Signs and symptoms
Adults
The most common symptoms of GERD in adults are an acidic taste in the mouth, regurgitation, and heartburn. Less common symptoms include pain with swallowing/sore throat, increased salivation (also known as water brash), nausea, chest pain, coughing, and globus sensation. The acid reflux can induce asthma attack symptoms like shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing in those with underlying asthma.GERD sometimes causes injury to the esophagus. These injuries may include one or more of the following:

Reflux esophagitis – inflammation of esophageal epithelium which can cause ulcers near the junction of the stomach and esophagus
Esophageal strictures – the persistent narrowing of the esophagus caused by reflux-induced inflammation
Barretts esophagus – intestinal metaplasia (changes of the epithelial cells from squamous to intestinal columnar epithelium) of the distal esophagus
Esophageal adenocarcinoma – a form of cancerGERD sometimes causes injury of the larynx (LPR). Other complications can include aspiration pneumonia. Children and babies
GERD may be difficult to detect in infants and children since they cannot describe what they are feeling and indicators must be observed. Symptoms may vary from typical adult symptoms.
Osteopoikilosis is a benign, autosomal dominant sclerosing dysplasia of bone characterized by the presence of numerous bone islands in the skeleton. Presentation
The radiographic appearance of osteopoikilosis on an X-ray is characterized by a pattern of numerous white densities of similar size spread throughout all the bones. This is a systemic condition. It must be differentiated from blastic metastasis, which can also present radiographically as white densities interspersed throughout bone. Blastic metastasis tends to present with larger and more irregular densities in less of a uniform pattern. Another differentiating factor is age, with blastic metastasis mostly affecting older people, and osteopoikilosis being found in people 20 years of age and younger. The distribution is variable, though it does not tend to affect the ribs, spine, or skull. Cause
Epidemiology
Men and women are affected in equal number, reflecting the fact that osteopoikilosis attacks indiscriminately. Additionally, the disease is often associated with melorheostosis, despite the apparent lack of correlation between melorheostosis and genetic heritability. It has been tied to LEMD3. Buschke–Ollendorff syndrome is a similar condition, which is also associated with LEMD3. See also
List of radiographic findings associated with cutaneous conditions

References


== External links ==