Carcinomas of the base of the tongue: diagnosis using double-contrast radiography of the pharynx.

A barium examination is frequently performed as the primary screening study on patients with carcinoma of the base of the tongue who present with dysphagia. Because of the limitations of the conventional barium study in visualizing the pharynx, double-contrast views of this region are routinely included as part of the standard barium examination on all patients with pharyngeal dysphagia. With this technique, six carcinomas of the base of the tongue were detected, including four ulcerating and two exophytic lesions. The normal and abnormal appearance of the tongue base on double-contrast radiography of the pharynx is described. The authors believe that this is a valuable technique for diagnosing malignant lesions of the base of the tongue in patients with pharyngeal dysphagia, and that radiologists should incorporate this technique into their routine examination in order to detect these lesions at the earliest possible stage.