Hemangioma of the esophagus: endosonographic imaging and endoscopic resection

A 49-year-old Japanese man was seen to have an esophageal tumor on a routine barium swallow examination. Endoscopy revealed a sessile polyp covered by an almost normal esophageal mucosa, and the bioptic histology was non-diagnostic. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic tumor with a diameter of 12 mm, confined to the submucosal layer, with the underlying muscularis propria layer being intact. On the basis of this finding, endoscopic resection was chosen and the tumor was resected using a two-channel endoscope, with prior hypertonic saline and epinephrine injection. The pathologic diagnosis was a cavernous hemangioma of the esophagus.