FIBROVASCULAR POLYPS OF THE ESOPHAGUS - CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC, AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN 16 PATIENTS

OBJECTIVE. Fibrovascular polyps of the esophagus are rare benign nonne oplastic intraluminal masses. Most published reports of patients with these polyps have been anecdotal, The purpose of this study was to rea ssess the clinical, radiographic, and pathologic findings in a relativ ely large series of patients with this unusual tumorlike lesion. MATER IALS AND METHODS, A search of the radiologic archives of the Armed For ces Institute of pathology revealed 16 cases of fibrovascular polyps o f the esophagus, We reviewed the clinical, radiographic, and pathologi c findings in these 16 cases. RESULTS. All 16 patients were symptomati c, Fourteen (87%) had dysphagia and four (25%) had respiratory symptom s, The average duration of symptoms was 17 months, but seven patients (44%) had symptoms for 6 or fewer months, Two patients (12%) had a his tory of regurgitating the tumor into the pharynx or mouth, but none ha d the known complication of asphyxiation due to occlusion of the laryn x, Chest radiographs revealed a right-sided superior mediastinal mass and/or anterior tracheal bowing in seven patients (44%), Barium studie s revealed smooth but variably lobulated intraluminal masses that orig inated in the lower cervical esophagus and had variable sizes and dist al extents, with an average length of 15 cm, Depending on the amount o f fat and fibrovascular tissue in the lesion, CT revealed a heterogene ous appearance in four patients, lesions of predominantly fat density in two, and lesions of predominantly soft-tissue density in two. CONCL USION. Knowledge of the clinical and radiographic features of fibrovas cular polyps of the esophagus is important because surgical removal of these lesions is warranted in most patients.