Abstract

Barrett’s oesophagus is defined as the replacement of squamous oesophageal epithelium by intestinal metaplasia in the distal oesophagus. It is a fairly frequent complication of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD): 5–10% of patients with GORD suffer from Barrett’s oesophagus. GORD is essential for the development of Barrett’s oesophagus.1 Intestinal metaplasia is a premalignant lesion that may further develop into dysplasia and lead to adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus.2 The latter now accounts for almost 50% of oesophageal cancer cases in western countries, and the largest increase in its incidence was recorded during the past two decades.3 Patients with Barrett’s oesophagus have a 2–25% risk of developing mild to severe dysplasia and a 2–5% risk of having adenocarcinoma: 30–150 times higher than the risk in the general population. Forty to fifty per cent of Barrett’s oesophagus patients with severe dysplasia would present adenocarcinoma within 5 years.4,5