[Leiomyoma of the esophagus]

In this paper the Authors report a review of the clinical records from 1972 to 1985 of the Institut of IV Clinica Chirurgica of Rome of esophageal leiomyoma. We report on 7 cases: three males and four females. Their ages ranged from 37 to 78 years (mean 54 years). The most frequent symptoms were dysphagia (71.4%), loss weight (57.1%) and slight epigastralgia (42.8%). Barium meal, esophagoscopy, esophageal manometry, TAC are the most sensitive procedures for a correct preoperative diagnosis. The therapy of choice is surgical treatment. However surgery is conservative: extramucosal enucleation of the leiomyoma is the procedures of choice. The postoperative course was free of complications, the long-term results were excellent.