ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS - REPORT OF A CASE AND REVIEW OF THE JAPANESE LITERATURE

We report herein the case of a 79 Sear-old man with adenoid cystic car cinoma (ACC) of the esophagus. The tumor had a polypoid appearance and was covered by thin esophageal mucosa, As the biopsy specimens sugges ted a diagnosis of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, the patient u nderwent subtotal esophagectomy with reconstruction of the gastric tub e via the posterior mediastinum. Histologically, the carcinoma contain ed basaloid cells, cribriform foci, and a certain amount of eosinophil ic hyaline substance, Some of the basaloid cells were stained immunohi stochemically for keratin, muscle actin, and S-100 protein, a pattern which was identical to the pattern of immunoreactivity of the myoepith elium. We reviewed 36 other cases of ACC of the esophagus reported in Japan, with special reference to the criteria for histological diagnos is.