A 42-year-old woman presents with fatigue, pallor, glossitis, and difficulty swallowing solids. She reports a long history of iron deficiency anaemia poorly compliant with therapy. Barium swallow shows an upper oesophageal web. This triad is associated with an increased risk of which malignancy?

• A Adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus
• B Adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia
• C Gastrointestinal stromal tumour of the stomach
• D Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper oesophagus ✓

Explanation

Plummer-Vinson (Paterson-Kelly) syndrome combines iron deficiency anaemia, glossitis, koilonychia and an upper oesophageal web causing dysphagia. It is a recognised risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper oesophageal and hypopharyngeal region. Adenocarcinoma of the distal oesophagus is linked instead to Barrett oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal reflux, while gastric cardia adenocarcinoma relates to atrophic gastritis and obesity, not webs.

Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.