Barrett esophagus
L. R. Radigan, J. L. Glover, F. E. Shipley and R. E. Shoemaker
Barrett esophagus is the term describing the presence of an abnormal
columnar epithelium in a portion of the esophagus. We have treated 19
patients within the past three years, representing almost 20% of all our
esophageal experience; This one pathologic entity has presented as several
different clinical pictures: benign stricture, peptic ulceration of the
esophagus, intractable esophagitis, and malignancy. One half the patients
were under 50 years old, and most were male. The benign lesions have
responded well to surgical therapy. There has been an unusually high
incidence of malignancy-26.3%. The reasons for the infrequent diagnosis of
Barrett esophagus are confusion with "short esophagus" and failure to
biopsy the proper site.
