Clinical and morphological analysis of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus and columnar-lined esophagus

Abstract

Background : Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a precan-cerous disease of the esophagus. The risk of adenocarcinoma in BE patients increases with the extension of segment length and with the presence of dysplasia. Columnar-lined esophagus (CLE) devoid goblet cells is also associated with dysplasia and adenocarcinoma, however, with a lower risk. Aim : To perform clinical and morphological analysis of patients with BE with goblet cells and CLE devoid goblet cells on the presence or absence of dysplasia. Materials and methods : This prospective clinical morphological study included 78 patients with columnar-lined esophagus at EGDS, among them 20 patients with a long segment, 58 patients with a short segment. Biopsy specimens from the CLE area of the distal part of the esophagus were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and standard PAS-reaction with Alcian blue. Histological examination showed BE with goblet cells in 49 patients and CLE devoid goblet cells in 29 patients. In those with BE, the morphometric analysis of the goblet cells density was performed and the number of the affected crypts was counted in dysplastic fragments. Results : In the short segment group, the male to female ratio was ~ 1:1.1, and CLE devoid goblet cells was found in 53% of cases (27/58 patients), and BE with goblet cells in 57% of cases (31/58 patients). In the long segment group, the male to female ratio was ~ 2.3:1, along with predominance of BE with goblet cells cases (18/20 patients, 90%) and high density of goblet cells (11/18 patients, 61%). The rates of goblet cells detection increased with the extension of the segment length (p < 0.05). The relative goblet cells density in the patients with the long BE segment was also significantly higher than in the short segment group (p < 0.001). Advanced inflammatory infiltration was found in 22 of 58 (38%) cases with the short segment and in 13 of 20 patients with the long one (65%, p = 0.012). The rates of erosion in the long segment group were 1.62-fold higher and ulcerations 3.87-fold higher (p = 0.014). Esophageal dysplasia was identified in 10 of 20 cases (50%) with the long segment and in 2 of 58 cases (3.4%) with the short segment. In 10 of 12 cases (83.3%) dysplasia was multifocal and involved from 2 to 10 crypts (in total, up to 25 crypts). Conclusion : The long segment of metaplasia was associated with higher rates of active chronic esophagitis, higher presence of goblet cells and their higher density. Dysplasia was found in 10 patients with three and more risk factors of progression (male gender, long segment, hiatal hernia, etc.). In most cases, the biopsy samples showed multiple foci of dysplasia.