"Glassy" cells in Barrett's mucosa.

BACKGROUND: In 1991 we detected glandular cells with "glassy" cytoplasm (GCs) in human gastric mucosa having intestinal metaplasia (IM). GCs were subsequently found in the gastric mucosa of baboons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The frequency of GCs (defined as glandular cells with a homogeneously pale, eosinophilic cytoplasm having a ground-glass appearance) was assessed in 403 human esophageal biopsies with columnar-lined esophagus. GCs may be in one gland or in a group of glands in metaplastic mucosa. RESULTS: Out of the 403 esophageal biopsies, 176 had cardiac glands with or without oxyntic cells (glandular metaplasia type 1 and 2, respectively) and the remaining 227 cases additionally had goblet cells (that is IM), glandular metaplasia type 3 (namely, Barrett's mucosa). Four out of the 403 cases (0.99%) had glands with GCs; all four cases were recorded among the 227 cases having glandular metaplasia type 3. Thus, GCs were detected in 1.8% of the cases with Barrett's mucosa. CONCLUSION: Previous studies showed that GCs were present in the gastric mucosa of specimens harbouring a gastric carcinoma. The present study showed that GCs are also present in Barrett's mucosa, a lesion often preceding epithelial dysplasia and carcinoma. The association between GCs and Barrett's mucosa deserves further investigation.