Ciliated cells in papillary adenocarcinomas of Barrett's esophagus

Eighteen surgical specimens having an adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus were reviewed, and special attention was paid to the presence of ciliated cells. The tumors were classified as glandular (9), papillary (4), diffuse (3) and mixed (2) types. Ciliated cells were observed in one specimen, in cystically dilated glands in Barrett's mucosa adjacent to a papillary adenocarcinoma. Ciliated tumor cells were found in three of the four papillary adenocarcinomas. The fourth papillary tumor, 1 mixed papillary-diffuse adenocarcinoma and the remaining 13 adenocarcinomas had no ciliated cells. Thus, the presence of cilia in exfoliated tumor cells from the esophagus should raise the suspicion of a papillary adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's mucosa.