Mediastinal esophageal leiomyosarcoma abutting a retroesophageal right subclavian artery: A case report

Esophageal leiomyosarcoma and arteria lusoria represent rare entities in thoracic disease. In the setting of arteria lusoria, careful surgical planning and preoperative imaging is essential.

A 53-year old male presented with a history of cough. Imaging demonstrated a 7-cm mediastinal mass at the level of the trachea and upper esophagus, abutting an incidentally found retroesophageal right subclavian artery. The right carotid artery originated from the aortic arch. Comprehensive evaluation demonstrated a mediastinal sarcoma. Given the tumor size and close association with vital structures, induction chemotherapy was given without response. He was therefore taken for resection, including possible esophagectomy. The mass was well-encapsulated, permitting mobilization off the surrounding structures, and was identified arising from the muscular layer of the esophagus. Postoperatively, he had a low-volume chyle leak, which resolved with conservative management. He was offered mediastinal adjuvant radiation due to close margins, but declined. The patient remained without evidence of disease for over two years, at which time a single pulmonary metastasis was noted and resected.

Esophageal leiomyosarcoma are an uncommon intrathoracic malignancy and may present with symptoms of mass effect. While patients with arteria lusoria are typically asymptomatic, they may suffer surgical morbidity if this entity is not identified preoperatively. In this case, the aberrant artery was intimately involved with the leiomyosarcoma, increasing complexity and rendering complete oncologic resection challenging.

Herein we present a challenging surgical resection of esophageal leiomyosarcoma in the setting of arteria lusoria, which was successfully treated tumor enucleation.