A Case of Cavernous Hemangioma of the Esophagus

Abstract

A 56-year-old female was referred to Saitama Cancer Center for a submucosal tumor of the esophagus.
Esophagraphy showed a filling defect with a smooth contour and sharp margins in the upper thoracic esophagus. Endoscopic examination revealed a protruded lesion covered with normal esophageal epithelium. Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated a low echoic solid lesion at submucosal layer of the esophagus. CT scan showed that contrast medium enhanced the mass more than the surrounding muscle, indicating the vascular nature of the lesion.
The submucosal tumor was enucleated by cervical incision. The resected specimen measured 15×13×13mm, and the cut surface demonstrated a solid tumor which exuded a small amount of blood. Microscopic examination revealed a cavernous hemangioma of the esophagus.
Hemangioma of the esophagus is a rare lesion, and 58 cases have been so far reported in Japan. Recently, most of the patients with this lesion have been treated with endoscopic polypectomy. However, in some cases like our case it is difficult to diagnose and/or difficult to perform endoscopic polypectomy.