Mott cell (Russell bodies) Barrett's oesophagitis

The first case of Barrett's oesophagus with chronic inflammation having predominantly (> 50%) Mott cells, i.e. plasma cells with stored immunoglobulins, known as Russell bodies, is reported. Biopsies from two oesophagoscopies revealed similar changes, suggesting that the predominance of Mott cells is not a fortuitous event but a more long-lasting microscopic process. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain ruled out Candida albicans and immunostains, plasma cell neoplasia. Mott cells were not present in biopsies from the gastric mucosa or the urinary bladder, suggesting that this phenomenon was not widespread but localized to the Barrett's mucosa. The retention of immunoglobulins (Russell bodies) suggests that the mechanism of protein transport in those plasma cells is incompetent, and that the proteins are neither degraded nor secreted, but remain stored in dilated cisternae. Increased awareness of the existence of this subgroup of Barrett's oesophagitis may result in similar cases being reported in the future.