The American journal of surgical pathology
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Am. J. Surg. Pathol. · Apr 2016
Case ReportsIntestinal Metaplasia is Present in Most if Not All Patients Who Have Undergone Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.
Barrett esophagus is presently defined in the United States by the presence of intestinal metaplasia in columnar-lined esophagus based on the premise that the risk for adenocarcinoma depends on the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Recently, arguments have been made that nonintestinalized cardiac epithelium is also at risk and should be included in the definition of Barrett esophagus, as it is in England and Japan. One of these arguments is that residual intestinal metaplasia is frequently absent around early adenocarcinomas removed by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). ⋯ We conclude that the frequent absence of residual intestinal metaplasia around an adenocarcinoma in an EMR specimen is the result of sampling error. When evaluated in depth by looking at history, biopsies preceding the EMR, and esophagectomy following the EMR, all of these patients with adenocarcinoma had intestinal metaplasia in their columnar-lined esophagus. This indicates that intestinal metaplasia is a necessary precursor to adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.