Oesophagus: Dysplasia and Neoplasia

Abstract

In many sites in the body epithelial dysplasia is well recognized as a lesion which commonly precedes carcinoma. Until recently this lesion had not been described in the squamous-lined oesophagus, but careful studies in countries with a high incidence of squamous carcinoma using step section techniques have shown that dysplasia progressing from mild to severe is likely to lead to carcinoma in up to 25% of patients, though reversion of dysplasia to normal can also occur¹. Dysplas- tic changes have also been described in association with postcricoid carcinoma in Paterson-Kelly (Plum- mer-Vinson) syndrome² though the webs often seen in this syndrome are not dysplastic. Since dysplastic changes can be found without accompanying carcinoma their neoplastic potential is clearly important.