[Synchronous carcinoma of the esophagus and the thyroid gland]

Abstract

Introduction: Incidence of synchronous or metachronous carcinomas with primer esophageal malignancy together can be estimated at 17% and these disorders manifest mostly in the stomach.

Case report: The authors report the medical history of a 55-year-old man whose symptomatic middle third esophageal carcinoma was cured with esophagectomy and two field lymphadenectomy. Stomach was used for substitution. Histological examination verified pT2N1M0 tumor and metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma from the lymph node removed from near to the right recurrent nerve. Five weeks after the esophageal resection a total thyroidectomy and a central lymph node dissection was performed. The synchronous thyroid carcinoma was located into the inferior pole of right lobe. Currently the patient is without symptoms and plaints, the complex oncological treatment is in progress.

Discussion: The incidence of a synchronous carcinoma of the esophagus and the thyroid gland is an extreme rarity. The basic difference connected to the tumorbiological behaviors of these two malignancies is found in the growing tendency and in the direction of lymphogen spreading. The common point is the recurrent nerve lymphatic chains in the thoracic dome. This is the reason that after the R0 resection of a middle third esophageal carcinoma the histological evaluation of a lymph node obtained from right recurrent nerve lymphatic chain shed light on the asymptomatic synchronous thyroid cancer.

Conclusion: In cases of operable esophageal carcinomas located into its middle or lower third the importance of a correct lymphadenectomy could not be emphasize enough. During the routine preoperative examinations it would be necessary to make cervical ultrasonography too.