Esophagitis is an acute or chronic inflammation that can damage the tissues of the esophagus, the stretch of the alimentary canal that connects the pharynx to the stomach.
In mild esophagitis, mucosal changes are found only microscopically.
In erosive esophagitis, the damage is clearly visible on esophagogastroscopy, and presents as erythema, bleeding, ulceration, and exudation.
In stenotic esophagitis, there is partial occlusion of the esophageal lumen as a result of fibrosis of the submucosa.
Finally, Barrett’s esophagus is a form of metaplasia characterized by replacement of the typical squamous epithelium of the esophagus with a cylindrical epithelium.
