The correlation of esophageal body length with measure of external body parameters

Abstract

There is disagreement as to whether there is a correlation between esophageal body length and that of various measurable external body parameters. This length has also been noted to vary in various disease states of the upper gastrointestinal tract and among various races. To our knowledge no such study has been published amongst an African population and Kenyans in particular. The purpose of this study was to determine how the length of the esophagus correlates with various external body parameters. This was a cross-sectional observational study at the endoscopy unit of Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). All consenting patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (OGD) at KNH. 76 subjects undergoing flexible esophagoscopy were evaluated. 43 were male. The mean esophageal length was 22.2 cm (SD 2.63). Males had a longer esophagus than women. The esophageal length had a negative correlation with weight of individual and body mass index. There was a positive correlation between esophageal length versus height of the individual and the sternal length. Individual's height is the parameter that best correlates with the esophageal body length.