title: Enucleation of esophageal leiomyoma with azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava: report of a case.
abstract: We herein report a rare case of esophageal leiomyoma in an 18-year-old woman with azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava. A submucosal tumor was located in the left wall of the esophagus behind the carina. The enlarged azygos vein made video-assisted thoracic surgery so difficult that conversion to a minithoracotomy and transection of the right superior intercostal vein were necessary to fully visualize the tumor. A pathological diagnosis revealed leiomyoma. Our experience suggests that a transection of the right superior intercostal vein is effective for the proper exposure of an esophageal tumor located behind the carina in a patient with an enlarged azygos vein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nippon Medical School Musashi-kosugi Hospital, 1-396 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-8533, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haraguchi
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hioki
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hisayoshi
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001401:Azygos Vein / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging