[Oat-cell carcinoma of the esophagus: presentation of two cases and literature review].
OBJECTIVE
Our objective is to contribute an updated view on a condition as rare as oat-cell carcinoma of the esophagus by reviewing the literature and reporting two recent patients seen in our department.


METHODS
A retrospective study with a review of all medical records of patients seen in our ward and diagnosed with esophageal neoplasm for 6 years (January 2000 to December 2006).


RESULTS
249 cases of esophageal neoplasms were found, of them 106 were of squamous ancestry (42.6%), 141 were adenocarcinomas (56.6%), and 2 were oat-cell carcinomas (0.8%). Only in 45 (18%) was surgical resection feasible, 23 underwent palliative surgery (endoprostheses, gastrostomies, and jejunostomies not included) (9.3%), and the rest (181 cases, 72.7%) received derivative surgery or no surgery at all.


CONCLUSIONS
We can affirm that this neoplasm is highly aggressive, displaying in practically all cases dissemination to other sites; this is a rare cancer that mainly affects men and whose clinical picture is similar to that of other malignancies involving the esophagus.
Liñán Padilla
A
A
Departamento de Cirugía Esofágica y de Tracto Digestivo Superior, Hospitales Universitarios Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain. linan_alejandro@hotmail.com
Milla Sabas
A
A
Abad Zamora
J M
JM
Vázquez Medina
A
A
Ibáñez
F
F
Alcántara
F
F
Hernández de la Torre
J M
JM
D000368:Aged; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies