[Endobrachyesophagus and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus]

The columnar epithelium lined esophagus is usually the result of a chronic reflux disease. In the literature one can find more and more references to a malignant transformation of this columnar epithelium. Our own observations of 14 patients with an adenocarcinoma in a columnar-lined esophagus support this suspicion. Because the adenocarcinoma of the esophagus has therapeutic consequences other than a squamous carcinoma of the esophagus, the surgery has to give attention to this malignant transformation of the columnar-lined esophagus.