Carcinosarcoma of the oesophagus

Gaur DS, Kishore S, Saini S, Pathak VP
Correspondence: Dr Dushyant Singh Gaur, dugaur@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
Oesophageal cancer is the third most common gastrointestinal cancer, especially in the Asian population. Only 1.3 percent of oesophageal cancers cases present as carcinosarcomas. A 43-year-old male who is a chronic smoker presented with progressive dysphagia and weight loss. On barium swallow, a large polypoidal mass was found filling the oesophageal lumen. Gross and microscopical findings along with immunohistochemistry helped in establishing its diagnosis as oesophageal carcinosarcoma. This unusual and controversial malignant tumour is biphasic in nature, composed of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. This case showed a rarer feature that the epithelial element was of the adenocarcinomatous type instead of the expected squamous cell carcinomatous component.

Keywords: carcinosarcoma, oesophageal carcinosarcoma, oesophageal tumour, pseudosarcomatous carcinoma, pseudosarcoma
Singapore Med J 2008; 49(10): e283-e285