A condition in which the tissue lining the esophagus, the muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach, is replaced by tissue that is similar to the lining of the intestine. This process is called intestinal metaplasia.
No signs or symptoms are associated with Barrett's esophagus, but it is commonly found in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A small number of people with Barrett's esophagus develop a rare but often deadly type of cancer of the esophagus.