Hairy Esophagus: Incidental Finding of Esophageal Reconstruction Surgery in a Gross Anatomy Laboratory Stimulates Near-Peer Learning and Interprofessional Education.

During routine dissection of a 65-year-old male whole-body donor, a group of pathologists' assistant students discovered a unique surgical remnant in the retropharyngeal space. A pad of adipose tissue was identified on the posterior wall of the pharynx and esophagus. Following an exploratory incision through the wall of the esophagus, the lining of the lumen of the donor's esophagus was determined to be comprised of skin with evident hair shafts. A group of medical students who served as teaching assistants within the course collaborated with anatomy faculty to gain access to the donor's health history. The donor's medical and surgical history included a diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal reconstruction with skin derived from an anterolateral thigh flap. To promote interprofessional education, the medical students compiled their findings and delivered an in-class presentation to the pathologists' assistant students and physician assistant students. Lastly, the potential of metaplasia of the epidermis was investigated through collaboration with the pathology department. Routine histology demonstrated that the skin was resistant to changes (e.g., maintenance of keratin and hair follicles in esophageal milieu). Beyond reporting intriguing medical findings, this case study demonstrates unique ways to translate pathological and surgical discoveries in the gross anatomy laboratory into near-peer and interprofessional education. A step-by-step guide has been provided for medical educators interested in designing collaborative investigations following incidental, yet insightful, findings within the gross anatomy laboratory.