A REVIEW ON BARRETT’S ESOPHAGUS

Belide Shravya, Kamma Bhanu Prakash* and Kathi Sandhya

ABSTRACT

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a segment of columnar lined epithelium in the distal esophagus, above the gastroesophageal junction. is a potentially serious complication of the GERD [Gastroesophageal reflux disease],in which the lining of the esophagus, becoming more like the lining of the small intestine rather than the area where the esophagus is joined to the stomach. About ≥10% of people with the chronic GERD develops this condition. It does not have specific symptoms, but presents the similar symptoms as in GERD, where these does not affect the likelihood. As BE is a well known premalignant condition, detection of dysplastic epithelium and its severity is the crucial element. Here the chances of cancer is also present but only as fewer as 1% of the patients with Barrett’s esophagus develop such cancers. At the current time, diagnosis of this condition is possible only by the endoscopy and evaluating the certain changes in the esophagus lining.

Keywords: GERD, Dysplastic epithelium, Cancer.