Giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus. A lesion causing upper airway obstruction and syncope

Abstract

Giant fibrovascular polyp of the esophagus is a rare but dramatic entity. These large polyps arise in the proximal esophagus and can cause airway obstruction secondary to mechanical pressure on the larynx, or they can present as a mass that is regurgitated into the oral cavity. We present a 66-year-old man who complained of nausea and vomiting that were associated with a fibrovascular polyp protruding into the mouth. He had also experienced several episodes of syncope resulting from intermittent airway obstruction. He underwent an open resection of an 11.8-cm fibrovascular polyp and an endoscopic resection of a second fibrovascular polyp 2 days later. Histopathologically, both masses were composed of a mixture of mature adipose tissue lobules and fibrovascular tissue, lined by reactive squamous epithelium. Despite their large size, giant fibrovascular polyps should be recognized radiologically and pathologically as benign lesions. However, they can result in significant morbidity.