Esophageal xanthoma: presence of M2 macrophages suggests association with late inflammatory and reparative processes
Uehara Karina,
Iwashita Hidehiko,
Tanabe Yasuka,
Kurima Kiyoto,
Oshiro Mariko,
Kina Shinichiro,
Ota Atsuko,
Iwashita Akinori,
Kinjo Takao
Affiliations
Uehara Karina
Division of Morphological Pathology, Department of Basic Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa903-0215, Japan
Iwashita Hidehiko
Department of Internal Medicine, Iwashita Medical Clinic, Okinawa, 904-2214Japan
Tanabe Yasuka
Division of Morphological Pathology, Department of Basic Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa903-0215, Japan
Kurima Kiyoto
Division of Morphological Pathology, Department of Basic Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa903-0215, Japan
Oshiro Mariko
Health Information Management Major, Management and Information Science Division, Faculty of International Studies, Meio University, Okinawa, 905-8585, Japan
Kina Shinichiro
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Functional Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215Japan
Ota Atsuko
Department of Pathology, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Fukuoka, 818-0067Japan
Iwashita Akinori
Department of Pathology, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Fukuoka, 818-0067Japan
Kinjo Takao
Division of Morphological Pathology, Department of Basic Laboratory Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa903-0215, Japan
Esophageal xanthoma is a rare lesion which is an asymptomatic small yellowish polyp, and most of the reported cases were solitary lesion. Histologically, aggregations of foam cells are found under the papillary hypertrophic squamous epithelium and the foam cells express CD68. The etiology of esophageal xanthoma is unknown. The focal irritation of the esophageal mucosa and infiltrated inflammatory cells are presumed to contribute to its pathogenesis. Although the pathogenesis may be associated with inflammation, the type and nature of the macrophages remain unclear. Here we report a 46-year-old male with esophageal xanthoma, which was incidentally found by endoscopy. Histologically, acute inflammation was not noted, and immunohistochemistry revealed that the foam cells seen in this case of esophageal xanthoma expressed increased levels of M2 macrophage markers. These findings suggest that esophageal xanthoma is associated with late inflammatory and reparative processes long after the initial inflammation of esophageal squamous epithelium.
