Oesophageal mesenchymal tumours: clinicopathological features and absence of Epstein-Barr virus

Background —Recent studies have sug- gested that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with smooth muscle tumours (leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus and in organ transplant recipients. Leiomyoma is the most common mensen- chymal tumour found in the oesophagus. Aim —To report a single institution experience on oesophageal mesenchymal tumours and to determine whether EBV is associated with these tumours. Methods —40 sporadic oesophageal mes- enchymal tumours were studied and their diagnosis confirmed on pathological re- view and immunohistochemical studies. Formalin fixed, para Y n wax embedded tissues from these tumours were analysed for EBV using in situ hybridisation for two messenger RNA (mRNA) probes, EBER and BamH1 W. Results —The oesophageal mesenchymal tumours comprised 36 leiomyomas, two undi V erentiated stromal tumours, and two gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tu- mours (GANTs). Median age of the patients with leiomyoma (26 men, 10 women) was 62 years (range 30 to 85) and 81% of them had an asymptomatic lesion. The median longitudinal size was 1.2 cm. leiomyomas were in 11% of the and calcification in one Coexisting squamous cell carcinoma in one third The asymp- tomatic, and in the lower third of the oesophagus, while upper leiomyoma, undi V erentiated stromal tumour, and were di V erent. Some oesophageal leiomyomas were associated with oesophageal squam- ous cell carcinomas. EBV is not associated with sporadic oesophageal mesenchymal tumours. :758–760)