Giant IgG4-related pseudotumor of the esophagus resected with endoscopic submucosal dissection: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder that has been defined in various organs. The disease is characterized by typical clinicopathological features including a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4 positive plasma cells, storiform fibrosis, obliterative phlebitis, and often an elevated serum IgG4 level. Esophageal IgG4-RD is rare, and its presentation as a solid mass is even more rare. Only 15 previous cases of IgG4-related esophageal disease have been described. We herein present a case of giant IgG4-related pseudotumor of the esophagus resected with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and a review of the literature. The patient was a 67-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital for assessment of progressive dysphagia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a 9 cm mass in the cervical esophagus. In the previous two hospitals, the patient's mass could not be diagnosed despite repeated biopsies. Because of concerns regarding malignancy, endoscopic submucosal dissection was performed. Histopathological examination showed dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with predominant IgG4-positive plasma cells on a sclerotic background. The patient was diagnosed with IgG4-RD. During the follow-up, no residual mass was detected but the patient was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. We present a unique case of giant IgG4-related pseudotumor of the esophagus. Resection with ESD of such a big mass of IgG4-RD in the esophageal region has never been reported before in the literature.