The histogenesis of the microinvasive basal cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

The spectrum of histological events ranging from basal cell dysplasia to microinvasive basal cell carcinoma was traced in four of 123 resected esophagi from Chinese subjects. Atypical basal cells could be seen in some areas impinging and pushing, and in other areas invading the underlying stroma. The periphery cell layers in some invading clusters retained the characteristics of the basal cells with palisaded arrangement. In non-invading areas, the intermediate and superficial cells had normal cell maturation with normal nuclei, a feature which distinguishes basal cell intraepithelial dysplasia from squamous cell intraepithelial dysplasia of the esophagus. Similar histological events have been demonstrated in experimental animals fed with an esophagotropic carcinogen.