Oesophageal cavernous haemangioma diagnosed histologically, not by endoscopic procedures

Haemangioma of the oesophagus is uncommon in patients with benign oesophage al tumours. We present a patient with an oesophageal haemangioma detected d uring mass screening of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The patient, a 59 -year-old man, had neither abdominal complaints nor a history of gastrointe stinal diseases. Endoscopic examination revealed a blue-coloured submucosal tumour (approximately 3 cm in diameter) at the middle portion of oesophagu s. Endoscopic Doppler ultrasonography showed an homogeneous and hypoechoic mass without blood flow in the submucosal layer of the oesophagus. However, a magnetic resonance imaging scan did not give a typical image for oesopha geal haemangioma. Therefore, partial resection of the tumour was performed to obtain a differential diagnosis using the procedures of endoscopic ligat ion and polypectomy. Histological examination of the resected tissue showed a cavernous haemangioma in the oesophagus. This endoscopic technique may b e useful for the differential diagnosis of oesophageal haemangioma. (C) 200 0 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd.