興味ある経過を示した食道癌の1例

A Case of Esophageal Cancer Showing an Interesting Course

　早期胃癌とくに陥凹性早期胃癌内の潰瘍が治癒傾向をもち，治癒する潰瘍かならずしも良性ではないことが，臨床例多数をもって明らかにされたのは比較的最近である^1)～4)．

　胃カメラにつづく各種胃ファイバースコープの改良と普及が，このような臨床資料をつくった主な原因といってもよいであろう．

　Healing process of an ulcer lesion within esophageal cancer was observed by fiberesophagoscope. The patient, a 53-year-old male, having persistent pain behind the sternum these 5 years began to complain since 2 months ago of sensation of constriction in the gullet. Fiberesophagoscope revealed on the anterior wall of the esophagus 36cm distal from the incisors an erosion of irregular shape with an ulcer lesion on its right side. Stricture was observed as well at this level. Subsequent fiberesophagoscope done 3 weeks later showed that erosion had disappeared. The ulcer lesion was not to be seen by another fiberscopy done 2 more weeks later. Ulcer within esophageal cancer was assuredly repaired.

　Since ulcer within early gastric cancer tends to heal without treatment as is now generally known, repair of ulcer within esophageal carcinoma without any treatment for cancer had led the authors to expect this esophageal carcinoma to prove to be early one. Although the results of the operation did not come up to their expectations as it was advanced cancer, only slight changes as of early cancer were observed on the mucosal side of the resected specimen. Histologically it was confirmed as well that this cancer lesion, mainly deeply infiltrative, had only very slight intramucosal cancer invasion.