Barret's Esophagus
Barret's Esophagus (also known as esophageal metaplasia) is considered a precancerous lesion in the esophagus, and occurs when there is replacement of the normal squamous epithelium with columnar epithelium.
These cell changes are thought to be related to chronic reflux esophagitis, and is often a complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and places the patient at risk for esophageal cancer.
Signs and symptoms of Barret's Esophagus can range from none to mild to bleeding and perforation.