A Rare Linitis Plastica Manifestation of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Diffuse Gastric Metastasis Revealed by 18F-FDG PET/CT

Diffuse gastric metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) manifested as linitis plastica is extremely rare. A 49-year-old man complained of postprandial vomiting and epigastric colicky pain, and biopsy indicated mucosal inflammation. 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed diffuse wall thickening of mid-to-lower esophagus and diffuse gastric wall thickening accompanied by mediastinal lymph node, perigastric, and peripancreatic lesions with intense FDG accumulation. Malignancy of mid-to-lower esophagus and linitis plastica accompanied by lymph node, perigastric, and peripancreatic metastases was suspected. Biopsies of multiple sites of esophagus and stomach confirmed SCC. 18F-FDG PET/CT is instrumental for evaluating rare metastasis of esophageal SCC and guiding biopsy.