[Classification of esophageal tumors]

As a result of comparison between basic oncological literature and the author's own series of 166 oesophageal tumors diagnosed partly by necropsy, partly by biopsy, the author proposes the following shortened version of the usual classification scheme after leaving out exceptional entities: 1. Mesenchymal tumours: a] leiomyoma and leiomyoblastoma; b] others. 2. Epithelial tumors: a] papilloma and other benign tumors; b] carcinoma 1: spinocellular [verrucous, keratinizing, non-keratinizing, anaplastic]; 2. cylindrocellular [including tumours with squamous structures]; 3. non-differentiated; 4. others [mixed, cylindroma, oat-cell tumours]. 3. Neuroectodermic tumours: 1] neurilemoma; b] melanoma; c] others. 4. Other tumours.