HISTOPATHOLOGY OF EARLY ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA AND SQUAMOUS EPITHELIAL DYSPLASIA

To examine the histogenesis of esophageal cancer and the pathological relationship between dysplasia and carcinoma of the esophagus, 44 case s of superficial esophageal carcinoma (restricted to within the submuc osal layer) who received no pre-operative treatment were reviewed retr ospectively. There were 40 dysplastic lesions in 17 cases (38.6%) and epithelial dysplastic lesions were classified into 6 with mild, 17 wit h moderate and 17 with severe, degrees of dysplasia. Although the cont inuity of dysplastic lesions with the carcinomatous areas was not freq uent (35.0%), it was more often encountered in severe dysplasia than i n moderate or mild dysplasia, suggesting some relationship between the severity of dysplasia and carcinoma. In the cases with a dysplastic l esion, multiplicity of squamous cell carcinoma was more frequently see n (p < 0.01), suggesting a multicentric occurrence of dysplastic lesio ns and carcinomas.