Abstract
A case of gastric leiomyoma with a peculiar appearance extending to the esophagus is presented. A 36-year-old man visited our department for a detailed examination because an abnormality in the lower esophagus had been found on UG1 series taken elsewhere. The chief complaint was a pharyngeal discomfort. Roentgenography and endoscopy done at our department revealed a polypoid, smooth-surfaced, protruding lesion associated with a bridging fold in the lower esophagus, and a large protuberant lesion undulating over the whole area with a bridging fold in the area immediately below the esophagocardiac junction. The tumor in the lower esophagus invaded the stomach, assuming a cord-like shape. The patient was diagnosed to have a huge submucosal tumor extending from the esophagus to the stomach. Operation was performed for a strong suspicion of sarcoma, based on the size and shape. The resected specimen revealed a huge tumorous mass with an undulating surface which extended from the lower esophagus distal to the esophagocardiac junction, with a part of the mass protruding into the serosal side. Histologically, a diagnosis of leiomyoma was established. It is thought that this tumor originated from the cardiac area, because this tumor lost the tunica muscularis propria most markedly in the cardiac area with the tumorous tissue extending into the subserosal tissue.
