A huge intraluminally growing polypoid tumor of the cervical esophagus: A case report and literature review of spindle cell (undifferentiated pleomorphic) sarcoma

A case of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma in esophagus after multiple cancer treatments of surgery and chemoradiotherapy

Background

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) in the esophagus is extremely rare. Therefore, there are few reports of UPS in the esophagus (UPSE). We present a case of UPSE after multiple cancer treatments.

Case presentation

A 73-year-old man with a history of cancer treatment, including distal gastrectomy, transverse colectomy, and chemoradiotherapy, was diagnosed with an elevated lesion such as a submucosal tumor in the lower esophagus by regular endoscopy. A boring biopsy was performed, and the specimen showed features of sarcoma. The patient underwent a partial esophagectomy without lymph node dissection. Histopathological findings confirmed an undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Adjuvant therapy was not administered, and the patient survived without recurrence 1 year after surgery.

Conclusions

Currently, complete resection is the only treatment option for UPSE. An optimal treatment strategy using chemotherapy or radiotherapy should be established.

Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma of the Esophagus: A Case Report and Selected Review of the Literature

Soft tissue sarcomas of the esophagus represent an extremely rare cause of esophageal masses, and an even smaller proportion of these tumors represent dedifferentiated liposarcomas. We present a case of a 75-year-old gentleman presenting with dysphagia found to have a 5 cm pedunculated mass in the cervical esophagus, originating at the cricopharyngeus. This was found to have involvement limited to the superficial mucosa by endoscopic ultrasound, and the lesion was subsequently resected endoscopically. Pathology demonstrated an undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma later determined to represent dedifferentiated liposarcoma after fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. The patient received no additional adjuvant therapy and remains disease free 20 months from the procedure. While treatment experience is limited, our case demonstrates that in selected patients, sustained local control can be obtained without radical resection.