[Barrett's esophagus: histochemical difference between goblet cells and blue cells]

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the replacement of the usual esophageal mucosa by a simple columnar epithelium with the presence of goblet cells (GC) of intestinal type. It has been related to different risk factors such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inappropriate consumption of irritating foods, smoking and overweight. There are CC mimic cells, known as blue cells (BC), which make the diagnosis of BE difficult, due to the lack of a precise definition of the nature and location of the gastroesophageal junction and the microscopic variations in this area.

To identify morphologically and with histochemical techniques Alcian blue (AA) and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) between GC and BC.

Retrolective cross-sectional analytical study where 45 samples of patients diagnosed with BE were included.

The morphological characteristics are similar in both cell varieties. PAS staining was 100%, unlike AA staining, with only 16 cases with staining, corresponding to 35.55%.

PAS staining has a high sensitivity and specificity for the identification of GC, this being a fundamental pillar for the correct diagnosis of BE. The presence of BC detected by AA does not exclude the diagnosis of BE, since both cell types can coexist.