Esophageal dedifferentiated liposarcoma resected by the cervical approach: a case report

Background: While liposarcomas tend to mainly occur in the soft tissues of the extremities and retroperitoneum, esophageal liposarcoma is rare. Herein, we report a case of a patient who underwent complete resection of an esophageal dedifferentiated liposarcoma via the cervical approach, leading to the preservation of the esophagus.

Case presentation: A 69-year-old man underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, as a result of which a submucosal-like tumor was observed. Upper gastrointestinal imaging showed a 12-cm tumor with a stalk arising from the esophageal entrance, extending to the middle intrathoracic esophagus, with a normal surface mucosa. Endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration biopsy showed that the nuclei of tumors cells were positive for murine double minute (MDM) and weakly positive for cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4). We diagnosed the tumor as the esophageal dedifferentiated liposarcoma, and planed tumor resection via the cervical approach. The tumor was successfully resected and the postoperative course was uneventful.

Conclusion: This case report highlights the use of tumor resection via the cervical approach as a good option for esophageal liposarcoma.