Esophageal Tumors in Childhood and Adolescence: Benign and Malignant

Abstract

Esophageal tumors are exceedingly rare in childhood and adolescence. However, they should always be considered when evaluating a pediatric patient who presents with dysphagia. Although both are rare, benign esophageal tumors are more frequent than malignant ones. Leiomyoma is the most common type of benign tumor, whereas squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma are the most common types of malignant tumors. Review of published case reports shows that the clinical behavior of esophageal tumors is similar in children and adults: benign tumors have a generally excellent prognosis, and malignant tumors are associated with a very poor prognosis. In this chapter, we review the published literature on benign and malignant tumors to better understand the epidemiology and pathophysiology of pediatric esophageal tumors.