A Large Esophageal Granular Cell Tumor with Review of Literature

Abstract

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon entity which occurs in all organs and tissues and is most frequently found in the tongue and skin. Within the gastrointestinal system, granular cell tumor occurs most frequently within the esophagus. The clinical presentation and imaging features of esophageal GCT overlap with leiomyoma in many aspects, making it difficult to separate these entities on a purely clinical basis. Therefore, the definitive diagnosis of granular cell tumor relies upon pathological examination. GCT of the esophagus is benign and surgical excision is usually curative. Here we report a case of a large, submucosal GCT of the distal esophagus, mimicking leiomyoma in clinical presentation and on esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) imaging. Surgical resection resulted in apparent cure, with no recurrence after 3 years of follow-up. Pathologic examination of the lesion showed a typical granular cell tumor.