Small Cell Type of Esophageal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Resembling a Submucosal Tumor

We report a rare case of primary small cell type esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma with a unusual endoscopic form similar to a submucosal tumor with the results of the histological and immunohistochemical analyses. A 57-year-old woman with dysphagia was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment, and was diagnosed as type 1s esophageal carcinoma in the middle thoracic esophagus. Endoscopy revealed a protruding esophageal carcinoma resembling a submucosal tumor with an irregular and nodular surface covered by non-neoplastic epithelium stained with iodine. Analysis of the esophageal biopsy specimen revealed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Based on a diagnosis of type 1s carcinoma in the middle thoracic esophagus that was 5 cm in size longitudinally, a radical esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological examination with histological and immunohistochemical analysis of the resected specimen revealed a small cell type neuroendocrine carcinoma overlaid by a non-neoplastic epithelium, extending into the adventitia without lymph node metastasis (T3, N0, M0, Stage II). However, multiple metastases in the brain and lung developed 3 months postoperatively, and the patient died of the cancer 7 months after the operation. This was a rare case of a highly malignant primary small cell type esophageal neuroendocrine carcinoma showing extremely rare form.