Endosonographic evaluation of the patient with esophageal carcinoma.
Endosonography should be considered the imaging method of choice for the pretherapeutic evaluation of patients with esophageal cancer. Recent data demonstrate its superior ability to determine the depth of tumor infiltration (T stage) and assess regional lymph adenopathy. Endoscopic ultrasonography provides important information that may help predict outcomes in some patients and detect post-therapeutic recurrence in others. Certain technical limitations, such as patients with high-grade malignant stenosis that precludes complete endosonographic assessment of esophageal cancer, may be addressed in the future with novel, high-frequency endosonographic probes capable of traversing high-grade malignant stenoses.
Van Dam
J
J
Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
D001471:Barrett Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014463:Ultrasonography