Defining dysplasia in Barrett esophagus.
Histologic grading of esophageal biopsies remains the cornerstone of management in patients with Barrett esophagus. This remains true despite ongoing research into the genetic abnormalities that occur in the setting of intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. As of this writing, there are no objective tests that can replace the pathologist's eyes in predicting prognosis in this setting. However, pathologists and clinicians are well aware that the histologic interpretation of biopsies is an inherently subjective practice. The validity of this exercise depends entirely on the experience of the pathologist. Having said that, two interobserver studies on the grading of dysplasia in Barrett esophagus suggest that, if published criteria are adhered to, the histologic grading of dysplasia is a useful tool in patient management. In this review, the updated pathologic criteria for each category of dysplasia are presented, and the results of two large interobserver variability studies are reviewed.
Robert
Marie E
ME
Yale University School of Medicine, 310 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208023, New Haven, CT 06520, U.S.A. marie.robert@yale.edu
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000473:pathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D018570:Risk Assessment