Barrett's Esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition in which the normal stratified squamous epithelium of the distal esophagus is replaced by columnar intestinal-type epithelium. The incidence of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is relatively low. However, once EAC has developed, the mortality is high. Intensive surveillance, followed by BE treatment, tends to prevent malignant progression. During the last decade, multiple imaging and contrast enhancement methods have been developed to overcome the drawbacks of standard endoscopic inspection and random biopsies (i.e., Seattle protocol). Future studies will prove which imaging modalities are here to stay and will assist (or even replace) this biopsy method.