CHSJ

Curr Health Sci J, vol. 37, no. 1, 2011

Primary Small Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus: Clinico- pathological Features and Therapeutic Options

[Case report]

ANDREA NEVAREZ(1), A. SAFTOIU(2), M.S. BHUTANI(3)


(1)Gastroenterology Unit, La Fe Hospital, Valencia, Spain;
(2)Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Craiova, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, RomAnia;
(3) Department of Gastroenterology,Hepatology and Nutrition, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston,Texas,USA


Abstract:

Primary esophageal small cell carcinoma (SmCC) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis despite agressive multimodality combination treatment. This article presents the case of a 76-year old women diagnosed with pimary esophageal SmCC. The diagnosis was established by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsies that confirmed an esophageal SmCC positive to synaptophysin, chromogranin, CD56, TTF-1, and cytokeratin 8/18. Further staging procedures included CT, PET and EUS, followed by combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Restaging was then performed, again with PET and CT of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis. This was then followed by salvage esophagectomy due to the presence of residual tumor. Surgical pathology confirmed a 3 cm SmCC, with invasion of the submucosa and lymphovascular invasion. In conclusion, the article describes the rare occurrence of esophageal SmCC, together with the algorithm of diagnosis and staging based on state-of-the-art imaging methods. This was followed by combination chemoradiotherapy and surgical esophagectomy as the standard of care in this aggressive disease.


Keywords: esophageal small cell carcinoma (SmCC), positron emission tomography (PET), computer tomography (CT), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)



Corresponding: Manoop S. Bhutani,MD,FACG,FASGE,FACP,AGAF; Professor of Medicine, Experimental Diagnostic Imaging and Biomedical Engineering; Eminent Scientist of the Year 2008, World Scientist Forum; Director of Endoscopic Research and Development; Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition-Unit 1466; UT MD Anderson Cancer Center; 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, Texas,USA 77030-4009;Phone:713-794-5073; Fax:713-563-4398; manoop.bhutani@mdanderson.org


DOI 10.12865/CHSJ.37.01.06 - Download PDF
current issue cover Download cover
Download contents

Journal archive