squamocolumnar Z line

squamocolumnar Z line

Endoscopy A zig-zag border seen by upper GI endoscopy which corresponds to the abrupt transition from stratified squamous or esophageal epithelium to columnar–gastric epithelium; the Z line's appearance is due to the change from the multicelled layer of the esophagus, to the single cell layer of gastric mucosa in intimate contact with blood vessels. See Barrett's esophagus.