Diagnostic gastroscopy - Esophageal papillomatosis

Presentation of the case of a 73-year-old woman with dysphagia and heartburn. A diagnostic gastroscopy showed irregular and suspicious mucosa within the esophagus and the patient was referred for further diagnostic work-up Here, the performance of a diagnostic gastroscopy with the diagnosis esophageal papillomatosis is presented.

Take home messages:   

Esophageal papillomatosis is an extremely rare disease that is associated with papilloma virus infection.

Only very few cases were reported in the literature so far and several of these cases developed a squamous cell carcinoma within the mucosal changes.

In the present case, a diagnostic resection of the neoplastic lesion was performed and, indeed, histological work-up showed an early carcinoma.

Because of the extensive changes within the esophagus, esophagectomy was performed.

After surgery, non-neoplastic papillomatous changes that extended to the upper sphincter of the esophagus were ablated with argon plasma coagulation.