Small Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus in a Patient with Longstanding Primary Achalasia |
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| Authors: | Deborah D. Proctor M.D. Jean L. Fraser M.D. Mark M. Mangano M.D. David R. Calkins M.D. Stanley J. Rosenberg M.D. |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. |
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| Abstract: | Achalasia is believed to be a predisposing factor for the development of esophageal cancer. Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare neoplasm, with fewer than 150 cases having been reported in the world literature, and it has been described only once previously in a patient with longstanding achalasia. We describe a case of an 85-yr-old woman with long-term primary achalasia who developed primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. We hypothesize that this patient's recurrent, worsening dysphagia is related to a paraneoplastic phenomenon. We discuss this association and review the literature. |
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