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Case Reports
. 2005 Dec;58(12):1325-7.
doi: 10.1136/jcp.2005.026807.

A "crackleware" oesophagus

Affiliations
Case Reports

A "crackleware" oesophagus

M Westerterp et al. J Clin Pathol. 2005 Dec.

Abstract

This case report describes a 70 year old woman with excessive diffuse keratinisation of the oral cavity and oesophagus harbouring a squamous cell carcinoma. This excessive diffuse keratinisation of normally non-keratinised squamous epithelium could not be identified in normally non-keratinised epithelia in other parts of the body (the vagina), arguing against a genetic basis for this disorder. The term "crackleware" oesophagus was used to describe this entity, which has not been described previously in the English literature.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Endoscopic picture of crackleware oesophagus showing the white aspect as a result of keratinisation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Macroscopic picture of the oesophaguscardia resection showing the excessive hyperkeratosis (black arrows), the tumour (left white arrow), and the Barrett’s segment (right white arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histological picture of the oesophagus showing the excessive keratinisation of the epithelium (haematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, ×120).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Histological picture of the tubular part of the oesophagus showing the extensive pancreatic metaplasia (haematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, ×30), confirmed by immunohistochemistry (inset; sheep antihuman polyclonal antibody; original magnification, ×150).

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