Giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus: MRI is useful for diagnosis and surgical planning

In the surgical field, benign esophageal tumors are much more uncommon than esophageal malignancies. In particular, fibrovascular polyps of the esophagus are extremely rare. We present a case involving a giant fibrovascular polyp (22 cm × 9 cm) in which not only location and site of origin but also precise polyp type were diagnosed preoperatively using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The lesion was then resected safely using a cervical approach. MRI is useful for acquiring valuable information about fibrovascular polyps. This case demonstrates the utility and safety of transcervical esophagotomy in the treatment of giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus.     

Recurrent esophageal fibrovascular polyps: case history and review of the literature

Fibrovascular esophageal polyps are rare benign tumors. They can grow to considerable length and cause symptoms such as dysphagia, retrosternal discomfort, vomiting, and even asphyxia. A barium contrast esophageal radiography will show a filling defect compatible with an esophageal mass. Surgical removal through cervical esophagotomy is the preferred treatment, and recurrences after surgery are rare. We describe a patient who developed three recurrent giant fibrovascular esophageal polyp within eight years. A review of the literature is given.     

Giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus

Giant fibrovascular polyps are uncommon benign esophageal tumors almost always originating from the cervical esophagus, frequently from the upper esophageal sphincter. The case of a 74-year-old man with a long history of dysphagia and a weight loss of 9 kg is presented. Neither barium esophagogram, computed tomogram or magnetic resonance imaging correctly evidenced the lesion. Only fiberoptic endoscopy suggested the correct diagnosis because the mass fluctuated endoluminally with the spasm of vomiting. A left cervical exploratory incision with esophagotomy was performed following the experience of two previous similar cases. A giant fibrovascular polyp was observed and excised. If a malignant or benign extensive intramural tumor had been identified, a total esophagectomy would have been performed. In our opinion the possibility of the presence of a fibrovascular polyp should always be considered in the presence of an undetermined esophageal mass, and in these cases a left cervical incision is the preferred surgical access. Once the correct diagnosis is established, a major esophageal resection should always be avoided.     

A case of endoscopically resected fibrovascular polyp arose from lower esophagus

Fibrovascular polyps are very rare benign tumors almost originating from the cervical esophagus. We present the case of a 50-year-old man with a history of dizziness and dyspnea on effort for two weeks. The barium esophagogram showed a smooth and rounded polypoid tumor at EG junction. Endoscopy revealed the smooth and white polypoid tumor at EG junction, which arose from the lower esophagus, and the head of the tumor was herniated into the stomach. Because the potentially malignant tumor was suspected by endoscopic biopsy, and the tumor was small in size, we performed endoscopic resection. The final diagnosis was the fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus. This is a very rare case, because this polyp was not only small but also arose from lower esophagus.     

Difficult polypectomy-giant hypopharyngeal polyp: Case report and literature review

Giant esophageal and hypopharyngeal polyps are benign tumors rarely encountered in clinical practice.In most cases,they are completely asymptomatic;however,despite the rarity of these tumors,interest in giant esophageal polyps derives from their degree of growth(characterized by slow growth into the esophageal lumen)and their mobility.In fact,if regurgitation occurs,they can ascend into the oral cavity and be aspirated into the airways,with potentially lethal consequences.The removal of these giant polyps is recommended.An adequate preoperative evaluation to identify the correct origin of the stalk is mandatory for a successful endoscopic or surgical treatment.A 60-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for anemia.The patient underwent gastroscopy,contrast computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound.At the conclusion of the procedure,during the extraction of the echoendoscope,the patient began retching and regurgitated the polyp,without experiencing respiratory distress.The patient underwent a left cervicotomy and polyp dissection via a pharyngotomy.     

Fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus requiring esophagectomy

Fibrovascular polyps of the esophagus are rare, with only 110 cases reported in the world literature to date. Dysphagia is the most common symptom. The diagnosis is usually made by barium swallow or upper endoscopy, but almost a third of cases can be missed with these studies. Treatment is surgical. Only four cases in the literature underwent esophagectomy for removal. We present a female patient with a fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus who required a transhiatal esophagectomy to safely remove this mass.     

Use of a monopolar laparoscopic electrosurgical instrument for transoral laryngoscopic removal of a giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus inlet

Polysegmented fibrovascular polyps are relatively rare benign neoplasms of the esophagus. They frequently reach giant sizes before patients develop symptoms and a diagnosis is made. Appropriate treatment of these polyps is endoscopic or surgical excision. In this paper we report a case in which an 86-year-old man regurgitated a giant polypoid mass into his mouth that led to dyspnea and dysphagia. The polyp was successfully removed by a transoral approach, by minimally invasive surgery, by use of a monopolar laparoscopic electrosurgical instrument (Valleylab LigaSure Advance? Pistol Grip). The patient was symptom and recurrence-free at 6-month follow-up.     

Fibrovascular esophageal polyp as a diagnostic challenge

Fibrovascular polyps are rare benign esophageal tumors that usually arise from the proximal third of the esophagus. We present the case of a 48-year-old man with a history of dysphagia and 7-kg weight loss over a period of 2 months. A barium swallow showed a distended esophagus with a tumor extending from the upper esophageal sphincter to the cardia. On a thoracic computed tomographic scan, a homogeneous intramural mass with a density of 22 Hounsfield units was seen, which extended throughout the entire esophagus. Fiberoptic endoscopy confirmed the presence an intramural tumor beginning at the upper esophageal sphincter and reaching to the cardia. The tumor was completely covered with mucosa, except for an ulcerated area at its distal end, which herniated into the stomach. On endoscopic ultrasound, the tumor appeared to grow submucosally and to respect the muscularis propria. Endoscopic biopsies from the ulcerated distal aspect of the tumor suggested a leiomyoma. None of the imaging modalities used revealed evidence of a polyp or intraluminal esophageal tumor. Rather, a potentially malignant extensive intramural tumor was suspected, and an esophagectomy was performed. Only at the time of removal of the specimen did it become evident that the tumor mass was located intraluminally with a pedicle in the region of the upper esophageal sphincter. The final pathological diagnosis was a giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus.     

Giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus successfully treated by endoscope-assisted resection

Fibrovascular polyps of the esophagus are extremely rare. A 52-year-old woman had the sensation of food sticking in her throat for 3 weeks. Examination revealed a polypoid lesion within the esophagus that extended from the pyriform sinus to the distal esophagus above the gastric cardia. With the patient under general anesthesia, the stalk of the lesion was cut through the rigid laryngoscope; however, the tumor could not be retrieved through the mouth. Large biopsies of the lesion were taken. The remaining lesion was later passed in the fecal matter. Pathological findings were consistent with the features of fibrovascular polyps.     

Esophageal polyps in pediatric patients undergoing routine diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a multicenter study

Esophageal polyps are uncommon findings in pediatric patients, and reports have been limited to case reports. Esophageal polyps have been previously ascribed to esophagitis secondary to gastroesophageal reflux, medications, infections and recurrent vomiting. They have been associated with underlying conditions such as hiatal hernia, Barrett's esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis and Crohn's disease. Presenting complaints of children with esophageal polyps have included vomiting, dysphagia, hematemesis and abdominal pain. The aim of this paper is to characterize the incidence, clinical presentation and progression, histologic subtypes and associated mucosal abnormalities in children with esophageal polyps. A retrospective multicenter study was performed at four institutions identifying diagnosis of esophageal polyps in pediatric patients (<21 years). Information was obtained from patient charts, endoscopy reports and histopathology reports. Specimens and slides were examined by experienced pediatric pathologists for all included cases. Esophageal polyps were identified in 13 patients (9 M) from 9438 esophagogastroduodenoscopies (0.14%). Mean age of subjects was 9.2 years. Vomiting was the most common indication for endoscopy. Polyp location was at the gastroesophageal junction in 7 of the 13 cases. Most polyps were inflammatory (n = 7). Esophagitis was noted in 69% of those with esophageal polyps. Repeat endoscopies in six patients at a mean interval of 8 months noted persistence of polyps in all six patients. This paper is the first to characterize esophageal polyps in pediatrics. These polyps are rare in children and often are associated with esophagitis. Presenting complaints seem to vary by age. Polyps did not consistently change with either time or acid suppression. The optimal management strategy has yet to be defined and likely depends on the underlying pathophysiologic process.     

Signet-ring cell carcinoma arising from a fundic gland polyp in the stomach

Fundic gland polyps (FGPs) are currently the most common type of gastric polyps and are usually benign. However, although rare, gastric adenocarcinoma of FGP has been recently proposed as a new variant of gastric adenocarcinoma. Here we report the first case of a 49-year-old woman with focal signet ring cell carcinoma that arose from an FGP of the stomach. The tumor was completely excised by endoscopic snare polypectomy. FGPs should therefore be evaluated for malignant changes although they occur rarely, if the FGP has an erosive or irregular surface.     

Pedunculated pharyngeal lipoma presenting as an esophageal polyp

We describe a case of pedunculated hypopharyngeal lipoma with radiographic and endoscopic correlation. This 66-year-old man presented with 3 years of intermittent dysphagia for solids and unrelated episodes of coughing. The literature regarding benign pedunculated polyps of the hypopharynx and proximal esophagus is reviewed. The clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and recommended therapy for these unusual lesions are discussed.     

A large inflammatory polyp of the gallbladder masquerading as gallbladder carcinoma

An inflammatory polyp of the gallbladder is a rare variant of benign gallbladder polyp. Differentiation between an inflammatory polyp and polypoid gallbladder carcinoma is difficult when the polyp is more than 1 cm in diameter. We report a rare case of a large inflammatory polyp of the gallbladder masquerading as gallbladder carcinoma in a 37-year-old Japanese woman who was incidentally diagnosed with a large gallbladder polyp, measuring 1 cm in diameter, by ultrasonography. She was asymptomatic and physical examination was unremarkable. Abdominal ultrasonography and endoscopic ultrasonography revealed three polypoid lesions in the gallbladder. One lesion was an isoechoic polyp, measuring 15 × 8 mm, showing a nodular surface and located in the fundus of the gallbladder. The other two lesions were hyperechoic polyps, measuring 5 × 5 mm, in the body of the gallbladder. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked enhancement of the largest polypoid lesion by dynamic study, and no lymph node enlargement was noted. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed a 12 × 8 mm polyp with an irregular surface in the fundus of the gallbladder. Superselective angiography of the cystic artery revealed neovascularity and a tumor stain in the fundus of the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. Intraoperative frozen section diagnosis of the largest polyp was an inflammatory polyp of the gallbladder. The other two polyps were cholesterol polyps. Inflammatory polyp should be considered as a differential diagnosis of hypervascular gallbladder polyps that measure more than 1 cm in diameter. Received Dec. 26, 1997; accepted Apr. 24, 1998     

Three cases of Solitary Peutz-Jeghers-type hamartomatous polyp in the duodenum

A solitary Peutz-Jeghers-type hamartomatous polyp in the duodenum is rare, and few reports have described its characteristic endoscopic features. We describe three cases of solitary Peutz-Jeghers-type hamartomatous polyp and their endoscopic findings in detail. The polyp in all of our three cases showed an irregularly lobular or nodular surface, whereas adenomas often show a regularly nodular or granular surface. The color of the polyp was whitish in all of our cases. In the present cases, close observation by endoscopy revealed that the solitary Peutz-Jeghers-type hamartomatous polyps looked whitish because of the presence of diffusely scattered white spots on the surface of the polyps. Duodenal polyps that exhibit the aforementioned endoscopic characteristics may be diagnosed as Peutz-Jeghers-type hamartomatous polyps and treated by polypectomy because of the malignant potential.     

Solitary juvenile polyp developing adenocarcinoma with submucosal invasion

Solitary juvenile polyps are generally non‐neoplastic hamartomatous polyps. Inflammation is suggested as the cause of proliferation and progression of these polyps, and adenomatous and carcinomatous changes are rare. We report a rare case of a solitary juvenile polyp with malignant transformation that developed in the sigmoid colon of a 12‐year‐old boy. A 3 cm, pedunculated polyp was endoscopically resected, and histologic evaluation revealed the characteristic features of a juvenile polyp. However, mucous‐filled ectatic glandular spaces were lined by mucin‐secreting columnar epithelial cells with atypical change, and an admixture of adenocarcinoma invading the submucosa was confirmed. The histologic features may suggest the involvement of the adenoma–carcinoma sequence in the development of adenocarcinoma in the present case. Although rare, solitary juvenile polyps should develop adenocarcinoma and thorough histologic evaluation of the resected polyps is warranted to identify the adenomatous tissue.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Minimally Invasive Peroral Endoscopic Removal of a Regurgitated Giant Polysegmented Fibrovascular Polyp of the Esophagus

Giant fibrovascular polyps (FVP) are relatively rare benign neoplasms of the upper part of the esophagus. Without a previous history, their diagnosis might be difficult because the endoscopic findings are sometimes misinterpreted. The present report describes a case in which the patient regurgitated a giant polypoid mass into his mouth and captured it between his teeth and buccal surface until emergency endoscopic removal. Although the adequate therapy for these lesions is open surgical resection, most often via cervical esophagotomy, in our case the polyp was removed successfully by peroral endoscopy with minimally invasive surgery. After 5 years of follow-up the patient is doing well, without recurrence.

Massive hemobilia and acalculous cholecystites due to benign gallbaldder polyp

Summary A 37-year-old male with metachromatic leukodystrophy, a congenital cerebroside storage disease strongly associated with benign gallbladder polyps, presented with hemobilia and acalculous cholecystitis due to a long, slender, benign gallbladder polyp. This case report extends the clinical spectrum of gallbladder polyps and demonstrates a novel cause of hemobilia. The unusually long, slender polyp shape may have promoted hemorrhage due to the potential for torsion around a slender stalk. The mechanism of cholecystitis may have been cystic duct obstruction from blood clots or possibly from prolapse by the long, slender polyp into the cystic duct.     

Esophageal fibrovascular polyp removed by cervical esophagotomy

We report a case of esophageal fibrovascular polyp (FVP) removed by cervical esophagotomy. The patient was a 74-year-old man in whom an intraesophageal mass was detected by a chest CT examination during a complete medical check-up. An upper gastrointestinal series showed a large, pedunculated, cervical esophageal mass for which our preoperative diagnosis was a FVP. We studied its features, as well as removal procedures in 45 patients in the literature. Most patients had marked symptoms, but ours had no complaints, and so this case may be a rare one. Various removal procedures were reported, but thoracotomy and esophagectomy are considered to be the inappropriate procedures since FVP is a benign disorder.     

Preoperative Colonoscopy Decreases the Need for Laparoscopic Management of Colonic Polyps

PURPOSE Patients are commonly referred to surgeons for surgical resection of polyps that cannot be excised colonoscopically. Repeating the colonoscopy may be met with resistance by both the patient and the referring endoscopist. However, there are two distinct benefits. First, if the lesion was not marked, tattooing facilitates laparoscopic resection. Second, and more importantly, many of these polyps can be removed endoscopically by an experienced colorectal surgeon, avoiding unnecessary colon resection. Over a period of five years, we have reviewed preoperative colonoscopy in patients who were referred for surgical treatment of benign polyps.METHODS From January 1999 through September 2003 all patients referred for surgical resection of a benign polyp were consecutively entered into a database by a single group of colorectal surgeons. All patients underwent preoperative colonoscopy on the day before the planned colon resection. Patient charts were reviewed, and demographics were recorded. The referral and preoperative colonoscopy reports and all pathology results were reviewed to record the polyp size, location, histology, and subsequent treatment.RESULTS Altogether, 71 patients were included in this study. The average size of the polyps was 24 mm (range, 10–60 mm). The location of the polyp as determined by preoperative colonoscopy differed from the location noted on referral colonoscopy in nine patients (13 percent). Surgery was canceled in 23 patients (32 percent), primarily because of complete polypectomy at preoperative colonoscopy. Of the 48 who underwent surgery, 23 (47 percent) had a colonic tattoo placed, at the discretion of the surgeon. Lesions clearly located in the cecum were not tattooed routinely. Of the 48 patients who underwent surgery, 45 (94 percent) underwent laparoscopic colon resection.CONCLUSIONS We concluded that patients referred for surgical resection of a polyp should undergo repeat colonoscopy preoperatively, given that in our study one-third of patients were spared unnecessary colectomy. In addition, repeat endoscopy by the operating surgeon offers an opportunity to confirm the location of the lesion and place a colonic tattoo to facilitate laparoscopic resection.Presented at the meeting of The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Dallas, Texas, May 8 to 13, 2004.     

食管炎性纤维性息肉的临床病理特征

目的:探讨食管炎性纤维性息肉(inflammatory fibroid polyp,IFP)的临床病理学特征、诊断、鉴别诊断、治疗方法和预后.方法:报道1例罕见的食管IFP,对其进行光镜观察、免疫组织化学染色,并结合文献探讨该病的临床病理学特征.结果:患者为71岁的男性,因进行性吞咽困难3mo余入院,内镜检查发现食管黏膜距门齿约35cm处可见一大小约2.5cm半球状黏膜隆起,超声内镜见一起源于黏膜层大小约13.2mm×11mm低回声团块,回声欠均匀,其间可见无回声影,边界尚清晰.入院完善相关检查后在全麻下行食管占位切除术,术后病理显示肿瘤位于黏膜下层,向食管管腔内隆起生长,肿瘤主要由3种成分构成:明显增生的梭形细胞、大量的炎症细胞和血管网,最后诊断为炎性纤维性息肉.结论:食管IFP是一种罕见的间叶源性肿瘤,术前诊断困难,确诊依靠术后病理检查.以外科手术或内镜下肿物完整切除为主要治疗方法,预后良好.