[A gastrointestinal radiographic study of 18 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from Barrett's epithelium].

Gastrointestinal radiographs were reviewed with pathological correlation in 18 patients with histologically proven esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from Barrett's epithelium. Comparison was also made with postoperative radiographs of resected esophageal specimens from 3 of the patients. Esophageal carcinoma could be observed in the gastrointestinal radiographs in 17 of the 18 patients. In 14 of the 17, the classification based on the gastrointestinal radiographs was consistent with the gross classification. In 10 of the 18 patients, rough mucosa was seen on gastrointestinal radiographs in the same area in which Barrett's epithelium was observed in the histopathological specimens. Sliding esophageal hiatus hernia was present in 12 of the 18 patients, a relatively high incidence. Regular granular or reticular shadows were observed on the mucosal surface of the esophagus on the postoperative radiographs of 3 patients. It is believed that a diagnosis of Barrett's epithelium can be made from gastrointestinal radiographs if these mucosal patterns are present. Although a definitive diagnosis of Barrett's epithelium based on upper gastrointestinal radiographs is considered difficult, the presence of rough mucosa in the esophagus around the carcinoma in combination with esophageal hiatus hernia are suggestive of esophageal adenocarcinoma arising from Barrett's epithelium.