Lymphoepithelioma-like esophageal carcinoma: Report of a case

We herein report the rare case of a patient suffering from lymphoepitheliom a-like poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The patient was a 74-year-old woman in whom an esophageal tumor was found durin g an operation for thyroid cancer. After performing a subtotal thyroidectom y and cervical esophagectomy, esophageal reconstruction was performed using a free jejunal graft. Based on the results of the pathological examination , the esophageal tumor was diagnosed to be primary lymphoepithelioma-like e sophageal cancer, not metastasis of either unknown nasopharyngeal cancer or thyroid cancer. Since surgery, she has survived postoperatively for more t han 4 years with no evidence of recurrent disease.