The DAVE Project - Gastroenterology

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Comments: This 59 year old man with obesity and diabetes mellitus was referred for upper endoscopy to evaluate his history of long standing mild reflux symptoms. On endoscopy, a 6 cm segement of Barrett's esophagus was noted within the distal esophagus. The Barrett's epithelium is recognizable as salmon colored esophageal mucosa that contrasts with the pearly white appearance of the normal esophageal squamous mucosa. The length of Barrett's epithelium is conventionally measured by subtracting the distance from the incisors to the squamocolumnar junction from the distance to the top of the gastric folds. The gastric folds are apparent here. The squamocolumnar junction is seen here.
Biopsies were taken from the area of suspected Barrett's epithelium.The mucosa from the biopsy is columnar rather than squamous. Furthermore it has a villiform appearance that is lined by mucinous folveolar cells with interspersed pale blue goblet cells characteristic of incomplete intestinal metaplasia and diagnositic of Barrett’s esophagus.

Contributed by:	Peter B. Kelsey, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital
Citation: Kelsey, PB (May 04 2004). Esophagus - Barrett's Esophagus. The DAVE Project. Retrieved Sep, 4, 2010, from http://daveproject.org/viewfilms.cfm?film_id=122 Times viewed since Feb 2006: 19064