Healthcare: Gastroenterology & Digestive Health

Barrett's Esophagus

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About Barrett’s Esophagus

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After swallowing, liquids and solid foods travel from the mouth to the stomach through a tube-shaped organ called the esophagus. The inside surface of the normal esophagus is covered by a pearly-white lining made up by cells similar to those that cover the skin. These cells are called squamous cells. In Barrett's esophagus (also called Barrett's metaplasia), the normal pearly-white lining is replaced by a pink-red velvety lining made up by cells called specialized columnar cells. They look like the cells that line the inner surface of the colon and include a very characteristic cell type called a "goblet cell”.