Esophageal carcinoma in a patient with bleeding esophageal varices

More than 20 cases of esophageal carcinoma have been reported to develop after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS), and this technique is implicated in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer. We report a case of esophageal carcinoma presenting as a superficial ulcer in a patient with esophageal varices with no prior EIS. Whether the development of esophageal carcinoma in patients with previous EIS is coincidental or consequential is controversial. Such carcinoma might have already existed before EIS in some reported cases. A causal relationship between EIS and esophageal carcinoma cannot be established without further clarification by a well-designed study.