Transcript Slide 1
Oesophageal Duplication Cyst
Masquerading
as a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour
Tarek I. El-Houssari, Amir Kambal, Haythem Ali, Ashraf Rasheed
Gwent Institute for Minimal Access Surgery
Introduction
Oesophageal duplication cysts are rare congenital
oesophageal anomalies in adults and are mostly
asymptomatic. Diagnosis of an oesophageal
duplication cyst is usually made in infancy and
childhood while investigating for respiratory distress
or feeding difficulty. Complications are known to
occur during the natural course of the disease due to
bleeding, infection and mass effect. We describe the
diagnostic pitfalls and management of a case of
oesophageal duplication cyst simulating oesophageal
GIST, causing retro-sternal pain, gastro oesophageal
• Oesophageal duplication cysts are rare entities that are usually found
incidentally during the early years while investigating for respiratory or poor
feeding complaints. Surgical excision of these cysts is the mainstay treatment
modality for these cysts for fear of complications. These complications range
from aspiration, infection, and bleeding to perforation.
• In our case, a 39 years old gentleman presented with cough, progressive
dysphagia, retro-sternal pain and nocturnal heartburn. He proceeded to have
an upper endoscopy and a CT of the chest revealing an opacity at the origin of
the left upper lobe of the lung and 5.7 x 3.9 cm oval soft tissue mass on the
right side of the lower oesophagus just above the gastro-oesophageal
junction.
reflux and intermittent dysphagia.
Case Report
A 40-year-old man, previously asymptomatic,
presented with nocturnal heartburn, progressive
dysphagia and retro-sternal pain. His past history
was un-remarkable. The upper endoscopy revealed
a distal sub-mucosal oesophageal lesion and the
barium swallow confirmed the large extrinsic
impression along the right side of the distal
oesophagus.
Contrast
enhanced
computed
tomography (CT) showed a well-circumscribed prevertebral thin-wall mass measuring 50 mm in
diameter. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)
concurred with CT findings and suggested it to be
GIST
in
nature.
A
laparoscopic
distal
oesophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy was
carried out for the presumed symptomatic
oesophageal GIST to an excellent effect. The
histology confirmed it to be a duplication cyst.
Figure 2. Endoscopic view
of the submucosal
oesophageal mass
Figure 3. EUS showing
the submucosal
lesion
•Bronchoscopy was performed and was normal and a diagnosis of either
leiomyoma or an oesophageal GIST was entertained based on the endoscopy
and the imaging.
• The patient was referred then to us when we organised an endoscopic
ultrasound revealing a 4.5 cm sub-mucosal lesion at the level of the left
atrium. This hypo-echoic lesion had a well defined capsule and was described
to be non-cystic. No fine needle aspiration (FNA) was attempted in fear of the
risk of dissemination of this presumed oesophageal GIST (Gastrointestinal
Stromal Tumour) and we proceeded to minimal access resection of the lesion
(Laparoscopic Gastro-oesophagectomy).
Discussion
The case demonstrates the clinical and the
radiological features of oesophageal duplication cyst
and highlights the need for a strong index of
suspicion if one has to diagnose oesophageal
duplication cyst preoperatively.
Figure 4. GastroOesophagectomy Specimen
Figure 5. Incision of the
lesion confirmed it to be
cystic in nature
• The procedure was followed by uneventful recovery and the histology
confirmed it to be duplication cyst.
Figure 1. CT Images of the Oesophageal Duplication
Cyst
• Careful pre-operative EUS interrogation of oesophageal sub-mucosal
lesions and entertainment of the possibility of oesophageal duplication
cyst as a differential diagnosis is necessary to allow better therapeutic
planning.