title: Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus in a patient with longstanding primary achalasia.
abstract: Achalasia is believed to be a predisposing factor for the development of esophageal cancer. Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus is a rare neoplasm, with fewer than 150 cases having been reported in the world literature, and it has been described only once previously in a patient with longstanding achalasia. We describe a case of an 85-yr-old woman with long-term primary achalasia who developed primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. We hypothesize that this patient's recurrent, worsening dysphagia is related to a paraneoplastic phenomenon. We discuss this association and review the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Proctor
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mangano
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Calkins
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D004931:Esophageal Achalasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary