[Chronic radiation-induced esophagitis after treatment of oropharyngolaryngeal cancer: a little-known anatomo-clinical entity].

Chronic esophagitis induced by radiation therapy (CRE) for carcinoma of the oropharynx and larynx, and involving an initially normal esophagus, is poorly known, and often confused with a locally recurrent malignancy. By reporting 8 consecutive cases, the aim of this study is to contribute to proving that cervical CRE does indeed exist. Eight men, aged 58 to 76 years, developed complete aphagia (7 cases) or severe dysphagia (1 case), 2 to 56 months (median 8.5 months) after radiation therapy for carcinoma of the laryngopharyngeal area. In 5 patients, the primary tumour and/or chains of cervical lymph nodes were removed before radiation therapy; in the 8 patients, the esophagus was endoscopically free of disease. The total dose of radiation exceeded 60 grays in 6 patients. Although they were initially considered as suffering from a locally recurrent malignancy on a clinical basis, none of the 8 patients had patent signs (either endoscopic or histologic) of recurrence. In each case a severe lesion of the cervical esophagus was documented (stenosis 7 cases, giant ulceration 1 case): the diagnosis of CRE was based on endoscopic, histological, and evolutive criteria. Six patients were treated by prolonged nutritional support (via enteral route, 5 cases; parenteral route, 1 case); endoscopic dilatations were used as a single treatment or in association with nutritional support in 4 cases. Three patients died of CRE-induced regional complications; post mortem examination, performed in 2 cases, confirmed CRE without evidence of locally recurrent malignancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)