Spontaneous Regression of Primary Malignant Lymphoma of the Esophagus

Hahm, Ki Baik; Shim, Yong Joon; Yim, Dae Soon; Kim, Won Ho; Moon, Young Myung; Kang, Jin Kyung; Park, In Suh; Cho, Jang Whan; Yim, Hyun Yi; Park, Chan Il

Abstract

Gastrointestinal involvement has been reported to occur in about 5 to l0% of patients with lymphoma. The most common gastrointestinal site for a lymphoma is the stomach, followed by the small intestine and ileocecal region. When lymphoma is found in the esap us, generally it is with contiguous involvement of the gastric fundus, the cervical node, secondary to mediastinal lymph node compression, or a late manifestation of advanced desease. Such cases cannot be labeled as primary esophageal lymphoma. A search of the literature reveals that there have been about 20 or more published cases classified as esophageal lymphoma. However, more than ten cases are indistingishable from the case of distal esophageal involvement by gastric lymphoma. In 1935, Chiolero described a case of midesophageal stricture, which at autopsy was consistent with Hodgkin's disease for the first time. Berman reported an authentic case of primary histiocytic lymphoma confined to the lower esophagus. Only six or more cases were reported in literature until the present time. Here, a 30-year-old man with substernal discomfort was shown to have a mass lesion on the esophagus. The mass was proved to be malignant lymphoma on the histologic examination. This may be the first report dealing with spontaneous regression of maligant lymphoma of the esophagus possibly associated with the use of cimetidine.