Primary Esophageal Lymphoepithelioma

Abstract

Lymphoepitheliomas are extremely rare outside the nasopharynx. Extranasopharyngeal lymphoepitheliomas may be located in the stomach or digestive tract, and only one single case of esophageal location has been found in our review. In many cases the tumor is related to Epstein-Barr virus infection. We report a case of undifferentiated carcinoma of the distal third of the esophagus in a 79-year-old man. Pathological examination of the esophagus revealed an undifferentiated carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (lymphoepithelioma). In situ hybridization of the neoplastic cells was negative for Epstein-Barr virus. To our knowledge, the present case is the first documented esophageal lymphoepithelioma in Western countries.