[Granular cell tumor of the esophagus. Morphological and immunohistochemical study]

Granular cell tumor or Abrikosoff's tumor is an infrequent and usually benign neoplasm which is found predominantly in the head and neck region, especially in the tongue. Its esophageal location is unusual, where most of them present as small, well circumscribed lesions which follow a benign course. Because of its low incidence in this site (less than 200 cases having been reported until 1993), we report two cases of esophageal granular cell tumors, both of them in male patients.

A 34 year old patient who presented with epigastralgia, heartburn and abdominal distention. He was treated endoscopically because he had a firm new growth in the lower third of the esophagus measuring 1 cm in diameter.

A 50 year old patient who presented with digestive tract haemorrhage (hematemesis and melena) 5 cm above the cardias a submucosal polyp was found of 0.8 cm in its largest diameter.

Both cases showed a subepithelially located new growth, composed of polygonal cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, small rounded nuclei, and conspicuous intracytoplasmatic positivity for S100 protein. With these elements we reached the diagnosis of granular cell tumor. The bibliography is reviewed and an update is made of its histopathologic characteristics in addition to histogenetic and clinical considerations.