[Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus]

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas are frequent in the bronchial tree, but are very are in the gastrointestinal tract. A 51-year-old woman underwent total esophagectomy for an ulcerated tumor of the lower third of esophagus. Pathologic examination showed an infiltrating small cell carcinoma, and immunohistochemical analysis proved it to be neuroendocrine. The patient died 2 months later from respiratory failure related to pleuritic metastases. Review of the 162 previously published cases showed a mean survival of 6.2 months, and rapid dissemination of metastatic disease, as in our case. As for small cell bronchial carcinoma, systemic chemotherapy should be considered for neuroendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus.