| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6088163 | Digestive and Liver Disease | 2016 | 4 Pages |
BackgroundTo date, there is still uncertainty on the role of specialized intestinal metaplasia in the carcinogenic process of Barrett's oesophagus (BE); this fact seems of importance for planning adequate surveillance programs.AimsTo predict the risk of progression towards dysplasia/cancer based on typical morphological features by evaluating the importance of intestinal metaplasia in BE patients.Methods647 cases with a histological diagnosis of BE, referred to the Endoscopy Unit of a tertiary centre between 2000 and 2012 were retrospectively identified, and divided into two groups according to the presence/absence of intestinal metaplasia. For each patient, all histological reports performed during a follow-up of 4-8 years were analyzed.ResultsOverall, 537 cases (83%) with intestinal metaplasia and 110 cases (17%) without intestinal metaplasia were included. During the follow-up period, none of the patients without intestinal metaplasia developed dysplasia/cancer nor progressed to metaplasia, whereas 72 patients with intestinal metaplasia (13.4%) showed histological progression of the disease.ConclusionThe histological identification of intestinal metaplasia seems to be an essential factor for the progression towards dysplasia and cancer in BE patients.
