A rare case of Barrett's adenocarcinoma including squamous cell carcinoma component

We present a rare case of Barrett's cancer with a particular histology composed of various differentiated adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells. A 52-year-old man with a long-standing complaint of heartburn visited a medical center for an annual check-up by esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Although high-grade reflux esophagitis with Barrett's esophagus was identified 3 years earlier, he had not visited a hospital for medication. In 2008, he underwent EGD and a 0-IIa + IIc type of superficial cancerous lesion was found in the long segment of Barrett's esophagus. The histology of this lesion was confirmed as adenosquamous carcinoma by biopsy specimens. Based on the results of computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasonography, and a barium study, the cancer was found to invade the submucosal layer, and the patient underwent surgery. A histological study after the surgery demonstrated various subtypes of AC, such as mucinous, signet-ring cell and tubular AC, with a focal SCC component. Barrett's AC containing SCC is very rare, and its carcinogenesis is of interest. © 2010 Springer.