n :  metaplasia of the lower esophagus that is characterized by replacement of squamous epithelium with columnar epithelium, occurs esp. as a result of chronic gastroesophageal reflux, and is associated with an increased risk for esophageal carcinoma - called also Barrett's epithelium 
 
Barrett, Norman Rupert (b 1903), British surgeon. Barrett's numerous positions included those of surgeon at King Edward VII Sanatorium, Midhurst, and at London's St. Thomas's and Brompton Hospitals; lecturer in surgery at the University of London; and examiner in surgery at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Birmingham, London, and Khartoum. He also served as editor of Thorax and contributed to several surgery textbooks.
 
   
 
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