Presentation of an unrecognized lymphoma as esophageal tumor

Malignant lymphomas rarely cause symptomatic esophageal involvement. We describe a patient presenting with the typical clinical and radiological features of an esophageal tumor. Endoscopic findings suggested a malignant tumor different from a carcinoma. Histology and cytology of biopsies revealed a highly malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Interestingly, further staging procedures revealed a well-differentiated stage IV NHL. Thus, the esophageal tumor must be interpreted as a de-differentiated manifestation of an unrecognized lymphoma of low malignancy.