Remarkably large, benign esophageal tumor. Difficulties in diagnosis.

A patient with a leiomyoma of the esophagus is reported because it reached extraordinary size before becoming symptomatic and caused some difficulty in diagnosis despite its large size. Diagnosis was made with the fiberoptic esophagoscope after standard roentgenograms and rigid esophagoscopy were inconclusive. The tumor was removed through a cervical incision. Attention is called to the potential fatal outcome of these lesions.