Adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus following total resection of the gastric remnant: a case report.

We report a case of adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus following a total resection of the gastric remnant. A 52-year-old man had undergone a distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer at 33 years of age and a total resection of the gastric remnant for local recurrence of the gastric cancer at 35 years of age. Repeated endoscopic examinations revealed the sequence of reflux esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus. Furthermore, adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus was detected in December, 1989. A subtotal esophagectomy was performed in January, 1990. The elevated lesion in the lower esophagus showed coarse lobulation and measured 7.4 x 3.2 cm. The histologic type was that of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, with the invasion limited to the muscularis mucosae without lymph node involvement. Severe dysplasia was seen adjacent to the definite carcinoma. The case supports the acquired theory of pathogenesis for Barrett's esophagus and suggests that reflux esophagitis after total gastrectomy may result in a dysplasia-carcinoma sequence.