Proctor D D, Fraser J L, Mangano M M, Calkins D R, Rosenberg S J
Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Am J Gastroenterol. 1992 May;87(5):664-7.
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.
