title: The columnar-lined esophagus. History, terminology, and clinical issues.
abstract: Recently, there has been intense controversy regarding diagnostic criteria for Barrett's esophagus. Some authorities have defined the condition according to an arbitrary extent of esophageal columnar lining, whereas others have felt that the presence of specialized intestinal metaplasia anywhere in the esophagus establishes the diagnosis. This article discusses the problems that arise when either of these diagnostic approaches are used and proposes an alternative classification system for the columnar-lined esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Spechler
mesh_terms: D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D004739:England; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic