Slow Progression of Poorly Differentiated Gastric Carcinoma Associated with Epstein-Barr Virus Infection: 12-year Follow-up

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 54; no. 12; pp. 1505 - 1508
• Main Authors: Yoza, Rina, Ueda, Yoshihide, Sakuma, Yojiro, Minami, Naoki, Takahashi, Ken, Minamiguchi, Sachiko, Haga, Hironori, Chiba, Tsutomu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Disease Progression; Epstein-Barr virus; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - complications; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - diagnostic imaging; Follow-Up Studies; Gastrectomy; gastric carcinoma; Gastroscopy; Hematemesis - etiology; Herpesvirus 4, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; natural history; Prognosis; Stomach Neoplasms - complications; Stomach Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach Neoplasms - virology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.54.4214

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric carcinoma accounts for nearly 10% of all gastric carcinomas and has distinct demographic, clinical and pathological features compared with EBV-negative gastric carcinoma. We herein report the case of a patient with EBV-associated gastric carcinoma followed up for 12 years during the natural course of the disease. The appearance of the tumor on gastroscopy and computed tomography gradually changed, and the size of the lesion increased very slowly during the 12 years, without metastasis. The present case indicates that some EBV-associated gastric carcinomas progress very slowly.