Submucosal glands in the columnar-lined oesophagus: evidence of an association with metaplasia and neosquamous epithelium.
Aim: A multipotential stem cell, possibly located in the submucosal gland ducts, has been suggested as the origin of metaplastic mucosa in the oesophagus. The topographic distribution of these glands and their excretory ducts (SMG) within the columnar lined oesophagus (CLO) is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of SMG in relation to the type of overlying epithel