[Barrett's esophagus]

Barrett's oesophagus is a complication of oesophagogastric reflux. Diagnosis is made on the basis of endoscopy and histology showing glandular and intestinal metaplasia above the oeso-gastric junction. The most severe complication is adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic follow up is effective in individual patients. Other solutions would be either to protect the Barrett oesophagus from carcinogenic and cocarcinogenic agents contained in particular in the duodenal reflux fluid, or to ablate Barrett's mucosa by thermal or physicochemical processes, allowing subsequent regrowth of normal malpighian mucosa by suppression of the oesophagogastric reflux.