Oat cell carcinomas of the oesophagus: a clinico-pathological study of 23 cases

A review of 955 patients with primary oesophageal carcinoma treated with this hospital revealed 23 cases of small cell anaplastic carcinoma of the oat cell type. Fifteen were females and eight were males. In each case the histological appearances were identical to those of the oat cell carcinoma which is much more commonly encountered in the lung. In none of these cases was there any evidence of a primary oat cell carcinoma outside the oesophagus. Argyrophilic granules were seen in three cases and granules of the neurosecretory type were present in five. We conclude that neither of these findings is a prerequisite for making a diagnosis of oesophageal oat cell carcinoma. The histogenesis of this tumour is reviewed and briefly discussed.