[Barrett's metaplasia]

Reflux oesophagitis is a chronic disorder with one important complication--Barrett's esophagus, which is also called Barrett's metaplasia (BM). It is not known why only a part of the patients develops BM. In BM the normal squamous mucosa of the esophagus is replaced by columnar epithelium of intestinal type. BM is frequently diagnosed during endoscopical examination, particularly in man over 60 years of age with symptoms of heartburn. This type of epithelium is a recognized risk factor of the esophageal adenocarcinoma. The incidence of this carcinoma is increasing in the last years. Based on the literature, we review the current pathogenesis, rules of diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of BM as well as the problem of connections between BM and esophageal adenocarcinoma.