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Experience with Esophageal Granular Cell Tumors: Clinical and Endoscopic Analysis of 22 Cases

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Abstract

Background

Esophageal granular cell tumors (GCTs) are rare tumors. Differences in reports on the clinical features of GCTs in the esophagus and some controversies about the diagnostic strategy for esophageal GCTs exist.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the clinical features and diagnosis of esophageal GCTs. Additionally, we sought to determine the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease and reflux esophagitis in patients with esophageal GCTs.

Methods

We retrospectively studied the clinical features, endoscopic features, and management of 22 patients with esophageal GCTs.

Results

Esophageal GCTs were more common in men than in women with a ratio of 1.2:1 and were predominantly found in the distal esophagus. Ten patients with esophageal GCTs had regurgitation and/or heartburn symptoms, and eight patients were confirmed to have reflux esophagitis by endoscopy. All esophageal GCTs were protuberant lesions covered by normal esophageal epithelium. The endoscopic morphology of esophageal GCTs was diverse. On endoscopic ultrasonography, these tumors appeared as homogeneous or inhomogeneous hypoechoic lesions with clear borders originating from the submucosal or mucosal layer. Eleven patients underwent endoscopic forceps biopsy at the first endoscopy, and only six patients were correctly diagnosed by pathology. Nevertheless, the 18 lesions treated with endoscopic resection were all correctly diagnosed without complications, and no patients developed recurrence during the follow-up period.

Conclusions

The occurrence of esophageal GCTs may be related to esophageal inflammation. As a method for obtaining an accurate pathological diagnosis and for treatment, endoscopic resection should be offered as the primary option for patients with esophageal GCTs.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2016YFC1303600).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China

    Yongsheng Shi & Enqiang Linghu

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28 Fuxing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100853, China

    Ningli Chai, Lisen Zhong, Longsong Li, Jiale Zou, Jingyuan Xiang, Xiangyao Wang & Enqiang Linghu

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  1. Yongsheng Shi
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  2. Ningli Chai
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  3. Lisen Zhong
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  4. Longsong Li
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  6. Jingyuan Xiang
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  7. Xiangyao Wang
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  8. Enqiang Linghu
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Contributions

Yongsheng Shi and Enqiang Linghu were involve in conception and design; Yongsheng Shi, Ningli Chai, Lisen Zhong, Longsong Li, Jiale Zou, Jingyuan Xiang, and Xiangyao Wang contributed to data acquisition; Yongsheng Shi and Enqiang Linghu helped in analysis and interpretation of the data; Yongsheng Shi wrote the manuscript; Enqiang Linghu and Ningli Chai were involved in the critical revision of the article. Yongsheng Shi, Enqiang Linghu, Ningli Chai, Lisen Zhong, Longsong Li, Jiale Zou, Jingyuan Xiang, and Xiangyao Wang were involved in final approval of the article.

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Correspondence to Enqiang Linghu.

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Shi, Y., Chai, N., Zhong, L. et al. Experience with Esophageal Granular Cell Tumors: Clinical and Endoscopic Analysis of 22 Cases. Dig Dis Sci 66, 1233–1239 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06337-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06337-9

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