EPIDERMIZATION IN THE ESOPHAGEAL MUCOSA - UNUSUAL EPITHELIAL CHANGES CLEARLY DETECTED BY LUGOL STAINING

A 58-year-old Japanese man with superficial esophageal cancer accompan ied by unusual epithelial changes, including esophageal mucosal epider mization, is reported. Staining with Lugol's iodine clearly showed irr egular unstained lesions, which could not be seen clearly macroscopica lly, in the resected specimen. Histologic examination of the irregular unstained areas showed definite granular and horny layers regarded as epidermization, acanthosis with slight nuclear enlargement, and epith elial atrophy. The immunohistochemical staining patterns of keratins i n the epidermized and atrophic lesions were similar to those in the ep idermis, and the keratin staining patterns of the acanthotic lesion we re similar to those of the oral epithelium.