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    Hepatogastroenterology. 2000 Mar-Apr;47(32):429-32.

    Superficial undifferentiated small cell carcinoma of the esophagus showing an interesting growing pattern in histology.

    Fukunaga Y, Hirata S, Tanimura S, Okawa K, Higashino M, Inoue T, Kobayashi Y.

    Department of Digestive Surgery, Osaka City General Hospital, Japan.

    We report a case of superficial undifferentiated small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The histology of the tumor was interesting; there was squamous cell differentiation within the epithelial layer and undifferentiated small cells growing within the submucosal layer. The tumor had a negative Grimelius reaction, suggesting no differentiation into a hormone-producing carcinoma known as an apudoma (Amine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation (APUD)). The serum levels of ACTH and calcitonin were within normal limits. As the patient was elderly and had a history of pleural tuberculosis causing poor pulmonary function, and owing to the fulminant nature of this carcinoma, he underwent blunt dissection of the esophagus by posterior mediastinal gastric pull-up. The patient recovered quickly and was able to be discharged with a good quality of life until the tumor recurred as a liver metastasis 6 months later.

    PMID: 10791205 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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