Sebaceous glands in the esophagus. First case observed grossly

Abstract

Minute, pale tan macules of the esophageal mucosa observed at autopsy proved, on microscopical study, to be sebaceous glands unaccompanied by hair follicles. Metaplasia of pluripotent cells is postulated as their origin in this purely endodermal tissue, rather than derivation from islands of misplaced epidermis.

Sebaceous Gland Metaplasia in the Oesophagus of a Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

“…Hoshika et al (1995) reported a case of multiple (>100) sebaceous glands arranged in longitudinal rows in the oral mucosa. A similar distribution was reported by Zak and Lawson (1976) and Kumagai et al (1993). In those cases, the location of the sebaceous glands correlated with the distribution of underlying submucosal salivary glands.…”

“…This hypothesis was first proposed by Zak and Lawson (1976), who stated that the presence of sebaceous glands in a mucosa of purely endodermal origin is best explained by pluripotential cell differentiation. A metaplastic process implies a broad pluripotentiality of the basally-located stem cell population that normally supplies the overlying epithelium of the oesophagus; transitioning from an endodermal to an ectodermal derivative.…”

“…Similarly, to our knowledge, no reports of this type of oesophageal change exist for domestic animals. The first human (1962) and since then only about 25 cases have been described, ranging from a single focus to numerous (more than 100) foci found along the whole length of the oesophagus (Zak and Lawson, 1976;Salgado et al, 1980;Merino et al, 1982;Auld et al, 1987;Hoshihara et al, 1991;Kumagai et al, 1993;Bertoni et al, 1994;Nakada et al, 1995;Radhi, 1995;Nakanishi et al, 1999;Wei et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2009). When visible grossly, oesophageal sebaceous structures are described as yellow, elevated lesions ranging in size from 1 to 5 mm, sometimes resembling xanthomas or xanthelasmas (Hoshihara et al, 1991;Nakanishi et al, 1999;Hirokawa et al, 2003).…”

Sebaceous gland metaplasia in cardiac-type mucosa of the oesophago-gastric junction

“…It is thus reasonable to consider this lesion to be an acquired or metaplastic change. Zak and Lawson [9] pointed out that ectopia explains the presence of sebaceous glands in ectodermal cutaneous sites but that metaplastic differentiation of pluripotent cells is more likely in endodermally derived tissues. The findings in the present case support this hypothesis.…”

Ectopic Sebaceous Glands in the Esophagus: Endoscopic Findings over Three Years

“…In the esophagus, which is derived from endoderm, ectopic sebaceous glands are rare. Ectopic sebaceous glands in the esophagus were first reported in autopsy cases microscopically [3], and the lesions were observed grossly in one autopsy case [4]. Recently, this condition diagnosed by esophageal endoscopy and biopsy has been reported in several living individuals [5, 6].…”