CARCINOSARCOMA OF THE ESOPHAGUS - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

Among 137 cases of esophageal neoplasms surgically treated at Kobe Cit y General Hospital from 1983 to 1990, there were two patients with a h uge polypoid lesion identified as carcinosarcoma by light microscopic examination, both of whom underwent radical resection and esophagogast rostomy. Microscopic examination of the resected specimens revealed th e tumors to be composed of carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. Add itional immunohistochemical examination disclosed keratin-positive cel ls in the carcinomatous element and vimentin-positive cells in the sar comatous element. In case 1, keratin-positive cells were also found in the sarcomatous element, which suggested that the sarcomatous cells w ere derived from epithelial cells. Despite the huge size of the tumors , the depth of invasion to the esophageal wall was limited to the muco sal layer in case 1 and the submucosal layer in case 2, and there has been no evidence of recurrence in either case since surgery.