Barrett's Esophagus This video segment was taken in the lower esophagus during a gastroscopy examination. This patient had symptoms of heartburn for over ten years before he decided to tell his doctor. This long history of acid reflux has led to a condition called Barrett's Esophagus. The esophagus, or foodpipe, has one type of lining. The stomach organ below has a different lining. In its simplest terms, Barrett's occurs when the stomach lining grows upward into the lower esophagus. In this short videoclip, you can see area of darker stomach lining surrounded by the normal pale pink esophagus lining. These darker "islands" and "peninsulas" of stomach lining are called Barretts. This is a sign of longstanding acid damage to the esophagus. Barretts is most significant for the fact that it can increase the risk of esophagus cancer 40 times above normal. Individuals with a history of chronic frequent heartburn should see their doctor and consider a gastroscopy exam to see if Barrett's changes are present. If so, treatment and close followup can help prevent heartburn from turning into a serious case of esophagus cancer. Best viewed via a broadband connection such as cable modem or DSL service. A 56K dialup modem may take up to 10 minutes to load. |
