Mucosal cancer of the esophagus that presented significant changes of endoscopic findings in repeated observations

Abstract

We report our experience of a very unique case with superficial esophageal cancer presenting significant changes of endoscopic findings within 2 months. A 60‐year‐old man was referred to our hospital because of abrupt and severe chest pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy demonstrated a shallow depressed lesion covered with whitish slough at the middle thoracic esophagus, which was identified as an unstained area by iodine dye spray. In the lower thoracic esophagus, we did not detect any abnormality during initial endoscopy. Although we diagnosed this lesion as atypical esophagitis, histological examination of the biopsy specimen confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, the endoscopic appearance showed dramatic changes over 2 months. The initial lesion at the middle thoracic esophagus gradually diminished, while the mucosa became slightly clouded in the lower thoracic esophagus. This cloudy area became unstained after iodine dye spray. The unstained area of the lower thoracic esophagus gradually spread. We performed four endoscopic mucosal resections separately in 4 days over a period of 5 months. All of the specimens were shown to be squamous cell carcinoma on histological examination. The patient is on endoscopic surveillance and over a period of 1 year, there has been no recurrence.