Intestinal metaplasia is the transformation (metaplasia) of epithelium, usually of the stomach, to a type that bears some resemblance to the intestine. Initially, the transformed eptithelium bears resemblance to the small intestine; in the later stages, the epithelium resembles the colon. It is characterized by the appearance of goblet cells.
It is considered to be a risk factor for the development of adenocarcinoma.