title: [Echography in the pretherapeutic evaluation of esophageal cancers. Apropos of 102 cases].
abstract: A retrospective study was undertaken of abdominal echography in mode B with manual scanning in assessing the spread of 102 carcinomas pf the oesophagus. This showed echography to be reliable in the diagnosis of hepatic metastases (accuracy of method = 93%), ineffective in detecting coeliac lymph node involvement and specific in the recognition of fatty infiltration and steatofibrosis of the liver. However, with regard to hepatic metastases, the existence of false positives and false negatives, even few in number, was such that echography could not influence final decisions as to treatment. The authors feel that histopathological proof in doubtful cases by cytological puncture using a fine needle would avoid false positives and thus give echography its full value.
mesh_terms: D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Apport de l'échographie dans le bilan préthérapeutique des cancers de l'oesophage. A propos de 102 cas.