Gerd

Dr. Parakrama Chandrasoma was born in Sri Lanka and received his medical education and initial pathology training in the Medical School of the University of Sri Lanka. He has postgraduate degrees in internal medicine, including the M.D. (Sri Lanka) and Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK). He immigrated to the United States in 1978. Upon completing his pathology residency, he assumed duties as Chief of Surgical Pathology at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center He has held this position since. After an initial interest in neuropathology, Dr. Chandrasoma joined Dr. Tom DeMeester's Foregut Surgery team as pathologist in 1991. This led to a productive study of gastroesophageal reflux disease spanning 16 years and resulting in the development of numerous original concepts relating to the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dr. Chandrasoma has written over 140 peer reviewed papers and 6 previous pathology textbooks, including a general text on Gastrointestinal Pathology and a text on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, and is a Professor of Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. He is married with three children and lives in Pasadena, California.

The increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has created an enormous interest and stimulus for research in this area. GERD brings together, for the first time, a vast amount of disparate literature and documents the entire pathogenesis of reflux disease in one place. The book presents reflux carditis as a new diagnostic criterion of GERD and for the first time defines the dilated end-stage esophagus and the earliest microscopic phase of GERD that is missed by present diagnostic criteria. GERD presents both clinical and pathological information and is meant to be used as a comprehensive reference for gastroenterologists, esophageal surgeons, and pathologists alike. *Outlines how gastroesophageal reflux causes cellular changes in the esophagus*Brings together the pathogenesis of the disease in one source and applies it toward clinical treatment*Tom DeMeester is THE leading international expert on reflux disease; Parakrama Chandrasoma is one of the leading pathologists in the area*Book contains approximately 350 illustrations*Ancillary web site features color illustrations: chandrasoma.com

Chapter 1: Overview of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease