Defined as the endoscopic finding in the distal esophagus of proximal-appearing columnar-lined esophagus of at least 1-cm length that is confirmed by histology
Considered a premalignant metaplastic condition that usually involves the distal esophagus
It is postulated that exposure of the esophageal epithelium to acid damages the lining resulting in chronic esophagitis and its healing involves metaplastic process
The incidence of progressing to adenocarcinoma is approximately 0.27-0.59% of Barrett’s esophagus patients per year
Intestinal metaplasia is not required for diagnosis, though risk of progression to carcinoma is higher in its presence
Diagnosed by endoscopy and histological examination
Risk Factors
Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
White or Hispanic race
Male
Advancing age (>50 years, reaching a plateau in the 60’s) - reported as a significant risk factor in various Asian studies
Hiatal hernia
Smoking
Central obesity (intra-abdominal body fat distribution)
