Both reusable as well as disposable biopsy forceps are used widely in clinical practice. Aim: To assess the quality of biopsy samples obtained with reusable biopsy forceps versus disposable biopsy forceps

from gastrointestinal endoscopy biopsies. Methods: This was a prospective study involving 1381 endoscopy biopsy specimens collected from 304 consecutive AZD2281 solubility dmso patients requiring biopsies from the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Alternate patients had their samples collected by either reusable (Paul Drach) or disposable (Radial Jaw 4) biopsy forceps. Biopsy samples were examined by a dedicated pathologist for adequacy by evaluation of size, depth of mucosa and the severity of the artefacts seen. Cost evaluation included the purchasing price and reprocessing cost of the reusable forceps but only the cost of purchase for the disposable forceps. Results: Whilst there was no statistically significant difference in the size of the specimens, submucosa was visualized more commonly in the specimens collected with disposable

biopsy BVD-523 forceps (38.7% vs. 19.9%) (p < 0.0001), partial mucosal biopsies were more common with reusable forceps (45.8% vs. 26.2%). In the lower GIT, there were significantly more severe artefacts with reusable forceps (3.4% vs 0.4%) (p = 0.01), but this was not seen in the upper GIT where there was no statistically significant difference. As multiple samples were obtained from each site, the artefacts and depth of mucosa did not preclude the final histological assessment The average cost per use was AUS$11.50 for reusable forceps and AUS$16 for

disposable forceps. Conclusions: If only one biopsy piece is collected from a single site, disposable PtdIns(3,4)P2 forceps are preferable as they give a better yield with increased depth of mucosa and fewer severe artefacts in lower GIT. However, reusable biopsy forceps may be more suitable and cost effective for larger GIT endoscopy centres that perform many procedures per day, as long as multiple specimens are taken from each site. ES GONSALKORALA,1 E ROCHE,1 S FAIRLEY1,2 1Gastroenterology Department, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Australia, 2Townsville Day Surgery, Townsville, Australia Introduction: An inlet patch is heterotopic gastric mucosa (HGM) endoscopically identified inferior to the upper oesophageal sphincter. It is an incidental diagnosis and does not correlate with symptoms. This is reflected in its incidence, ranging from 0.3% to 20% in different study populations. Some have found an association between HGM and gastroesophageal reflux disease or Barrett’s oesophagus (Rosztoczy, Izbeki et al. 2012), others have not (Weickert, Wolf et al.