Spindle cell lipoma of the esophagus

Abstract

Esophageal lipomas are benign tumors representing less than 0.5% of all gastrointestinal lipomas. They are typically detected incidentally but occasionally present with local symptoms and rarely with life-threatening complications. We describe a case of a 60-year-old man with progressive dysphagia and weight loss, who presented with several episodes of near asphyxiation secondary to regurgitation and aspiration of the pedunculated mass. Preoperative investigations included a barium meal, esophagoscopy and computerized tomography. The pedunculated lipoma was excised via a cervical approach and found, at final pathology, to be a spindle cell lipoma, a rare variant not previously described in relation to the esophagus.