Abstract
Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant condition characterized by the presence of specialized
columnar epithelium in the distal esophagus. Conventional medical or surgical treatments
do not consistently lead to a regression of Barrett's epithelium. However, restoration
of squamous mucosa can occur in an anacid environment after endoscopic ablation of
metaplastic epithelium. We report here on two patients with long-standing history
of Barrett's esophagus who were treated with endoscopic argon plasma coagulation.
By six months of endoscopic treatment, Barrett's epithelium had regressed by more
than 50 %, being replaced by apparently normal squamous epithelium in both patients.
Extensive histological sampling confirmed the presence of squamous epithelium indistinguishable
from normal esophageal mucosa. Both patients were asymptomatic under concomitant therapy
with proton pump inhibitors with the exception of slight retrosternal discomfort the
day after treatment. This demonstrates that endoscopic argon plasma coagulation may
be considered for the treatment of Barrett's esophagus.
