Small benign tumors of the esophagus: radiological diagnosis with double-contrast examination.

Benign tumors of the esophagus are rare. So far radiological examination has been useful in the diagnosis of fairly large benign tumors. In 4100 consecutive double-contrast studies we have found 22 incidental cases of protruded lesions of the esophagus with the appearance of submucosal tumor (8 cases) or polyp of the mucosa (14 cases). The lesions were small: 14 were less than 1 cm and 8 were between 1 and 3 cm. The histological data showed leiomyoma in the submucosal tumors and squamous papillomas in the polyps of the mucosa. A noteworthy feature is the unusual frequency of small squamous papillomas detected. The radiological diagnosis of benign tumors of the esophagus cannot be confined to large tumors in symptomatic patients but may include the accidental detection of small tumors. These call for histological verification and possibly endoscopic removal.