Esophagography and Esophagoscopy: Comparison in the Examination of Patients With Head and Neck Carcinoma

Abstract

We carried out a prospective, double-blind study at three institutions, comparing esophagography with esophagoscopy for the detection of simultaneous cancer of the esophagus in patients with other squamous cell cancers of the head and neck. The goal was to determine whether esophagography and esophagoscopy are necessary for the examination of patients before treatment. One hundred eighty-two patients were studied; both examinations were done in 148 patients. Twenty-one patients could not undergo esophagoscopy; esophagography was inadequate in 9 patients; 4 patients could have neither examination. Concordance was noted between the two procedures in 86.5% of patients. Sixty-five percent were normal, and 21.5% were abnormal. One esophageal cancer was found in this series that was diagnosed by both methods. Our data suggest that esophagoscopy and esophagography may be complementary in evaluating squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in patients before treatment. Esophagography alone was useful in patients in whom esophagoscopy could not be performed.

Correlation of Radiological and Endoscopic Findings in Patients Presenting with Dysphagia

“…Matilde et al [4] noted true positive barium swallow studies in 86.5% cases. Curling's phenomenon was seen in one case of Presbydysphagia.…”

Screening for Simultaneous Esophageal Primary Tumors

“…Although the exact diagnosis was made in only 8 (73%) of 11 patients with carcinoma, abnormal results indicating the need for further endoscopy were detected in 10 (94%) of 11 patients with small esophageal carcinoma, supporting esophagography's role in the detection of smaller and presumably earlierstage esophageal malignancies. Nino-Murcia et al 6 carried out a double-blind prospective study of 182 patients diagnosed as having head and neck carcinoma, 148 of whom underwent both esophagography and esophagoscopy in an effort to compare the 2 procedures in the detection of simultaneous esophageal carcinoma. Concordance of findings between the 2 procedures was found in 86% of patients.…”