PMC3134058_01
a Endoscopic image of the lower esophagus. The tumor was found to be located in the 1 o'clock position of the lower end of the esophagus. b Endoscopic image of the esophagogastric junction. The lower margin of the tumor almost coincided with the esophagogastric junction. c Endoscopic image of the tumor and the short segment of Barrett's epithelium. A short segment of columnar lined esophagus with squamous islands (short-segment Barrett's epithelium) was observed in the 11 o'clock position of the esophagogastric junction near the tumor (arrows).
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F1
Endoscopic examination showed that the tumor was located in the 1 o'clock position of the lower end of the esophagus (fig. 1a), and the lower margin of the tumor almost coincided with the esophagogastric junction (fig. 1b). Barrett's epithelium) was observed in the 11 o'clock position of the esophagogastric junction near the tumor (fig. 1c). Biopsies of the tumor showed moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.
a Gross image of the resected sample. The tumor was mostly localized proximally to the esophagogastric junction and the cardiac notch, which is presumptively depicted by the broken line and the white arrows, respectively. b Close-up image around the esophagogastric junction. As seen in endoscopy, short-segment Barrett's epithelium was observed near the tumor (black arrows), with intestinal metaplasia and submucosal esophageal glands histologically confirmed.
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F2
In the resected samples, the tumor was localized in the lower end of the esophagus as observed by endoscopy (fig. 2a). Intestinal metaplasia and submucosal esophageal glands were histologically confirmed in the coexistent short segment of Barrett's epithelium near the tumor (fig. 2b).
Endoscopic image of the esophagogastric junction in December 2002. No apparent evidence of tumor in the lower esophagus was found in the previous endoscopic examination prior to eradication therapy.
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F3
Retrospective assessment of previous endoscopic examination performed in December 2002 prior to eradication therapy did not show any apparent signs of tumor in the lower esophagus (fig. 3).