title: A case of oesophageal cancer with low back pain: the accidental finding of skeletal muscle metastasis.
abstract: Skeletal muscle metastasis is a very rare event in patients with oesophageal cancer. We herein report and discuss a case of a 65 years old man with history of gastro-esophageal reflux disease referred to our department for pyrosis associated to persistent low back pain. Oesophageal endoscopy and transesophageal endo-sonography showed a tumour localized in the lower third of the esophagus, histologically proved to be adenocarcinoma. Clinical staging procedures detected a two centimetres vascularized nodular lesion placed into right para-vertebral muscles at the level of L4 as the only sign of potential distant disease (versus a differential diagnosis of primitive sarcoma). The muscle lesion was completely removed and confirmed as secondary adenocarcinoma. Due to this evidence a chemotherapy protocol was initiated. After nine months the patient underwent transhiatal oesophagectomy. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case of a soft tissue metastasis from oesophageal cancer resected with radical intent.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leuzzi
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cesario
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Margaritora
authors.forename: Anna Mariantonia
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Venanzio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Porziella
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meacci
authors.forename: Maria Letizia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vita
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Congedo
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiappetta
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Granone
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal