Sixteen studies reporting 46 comparisons were included in the review (1,521 patients, 1,556 specimens). Some studies reported data separately for different subtypes of BE, for different observers, and separately for patients who were positive and negative for Helicobacter pylori.
Only 4 studies were prospective. Nine studies were reported to have used a blinded pathologist to interpret samples. The blinded studies showed higher, less heterogeneous sensitivity (range: 81 to 100%) and specificity (range: 61 to 100%) than the non-blinded studies.
BE and cardia IM (12 studies, 18 comparisons).
The sensitivity ranged from 10 to 100% and the specificity from 22 to 100%. For studies that reported data for LSBE (8 studies), the sensitivity ranged from 17 to 100%. For studies that reported data for SSBE (5 studies), the sensitivity ranged from 10 to 95%.
BE and corpus IM (3 studies, 3 comparisons).
The sensitivity ranged from 10 to 94% and the specificity from 96 to 100%. The study with the lowest sensitivity was a study of SSBE.
BE and antrum IM (6 studies, 9 comparisons).
The sensitivity ranged from 17 to 94% and the specificity from 71 to 100%. All but two of the comparisons evaluated LSBE or BE length was not stated. For the three comparisons that assessed SSBE, the sensitivity ranged from 30 to 94%.
BE and gastric IM (7 studies, 11 comparisons).
The sensitivity ranged from 27 to 100% and the specificity from 85 to 100%. For studies that reported data for LSBE (4 studies), the sensitivity ranged from 94 to 100%. For studies that reported data for SSBE (4 studies), the sensitivity ranged from 27 to 95%.
BE and non-metaplastic tissues (2 studies, 3 comparisons).
The sensitivity ranged from 45 to 100% and the specificity from 15 to 45%. One study did not report on BE segment length, while the other reported data separately for LSBE and SSBE. This study found that LSBE was less sensitive (45%) than SSBE (81%).