EARLY ESOPHAGEAL CANCER SHOWING MARKED RADIOGRAPHIC GROWTH FOR 21 MONTHS.

-REPORT OF A CASE-

Abstract

We experienced a case of early esophageal cancer with 21 months follow-up study. A 54 year-old woman visited our clinic with a complaint of mild epigastralgia. The first upper x-ray revealed no abnormality in the esophagus, but a small filling defect was retrospectively detected in the middle esophagus. Rapid growth of the lesion was observed by the second examination 21 months later. Endoscopic study revealed a protruded lesion with irregular surface at the 30cm from upper incisors. The dye scattering method using 5% of Lugol's was applied. The normal epithelium was positively stained light or dark brown with Lugol's solution, but protruded lesion was unstained and confirmed by biopsy specimen as a squamous cell carcinoma. The resected specimen showed an elevated type of early cancer invading the submocosa. The patient is doing well 20 months after operation.