A CASE OF SUPERFICIAL TYPE OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER WITH STENOTIC APPEARANCE

Abstract

Most esophagel cancers associating with stricture of the esophageal lumen are in an advanced stage. Here a rare case of superficial type of esophageal cancer with a stenotic appearance is reported. A 54-year-old male was admitted to the hospital because of an inability to take foods lasting for 2 months. He sometimes experienced dysphagia since 2 years and 6 months before admittion. The preoperative diagnosis was a stenotic type of esophageal cancer located in the lower segment (EaEi) with an invasion into the musculasis propria. However, the cancer was impalpable, and no metastatic lymph nodes or organic metastases were observed in the abdominal procedure at the operation. At that time, blunt dissection of the esophagus and cervical esophago-gastrostomy were performed. In the resected supecimen, the cancer (2.0×2.7 cm sized, O-IIc type) completely occupied the whole-circumference of lumen of the lower esophagus. Histologically, it was found that the cancer had only slightly invaded the submucosa with the majority limited to the mucosa. Lymphatic and blood vessel invasion were absent. No microscopic metastasis was marked in the dissected lymph nodes. There was no histological evidence of achalasia. It was suggested that the stenosis might occur due to the fibrosis of the lamina propria mucosa.