Carcinosarcoma of oesophagus: A case report

Abstract

Oesophageal carcinosarcoma is a rare type of oesophageal cancer composed of both epithelial and mesenchymal components, occuring with an incidence of about 0.1-1.5 % of all oesophageal tumors. Most of the cases have been reported from Japan. Very few cases have been reported from India. We report a case of 65 year old female who presented with dysphagia and weight loss. Endoscopy revealed a bulky mass and the preliminary diagnosis was oesophageal carcinoma. On histology of the surgical specimen, the tumour revealed both epithelial and sarcomatous malignant cells. A tentative diagnosis of oesophageal carcinosarcoma was made. Immunohistochemical studies showed positivity for both pancytokeratin and vimentin thus confirming the diagnosis.