Ultrasonic esophagoprobe for TNM staging of highly stenosing esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

Endosonographic staging of esophageal carcinoma may be limited in one third of cases by tumor stenoses that cannot be traversed with conventional echoendoscopes. We designed and evaluated a new endosonographic instrument (ultrasonic esophagoprobe) for TNM staging of highly stenosing esophageal carcinomas.

METHODS

Eighty-seven consecutive patients (64 men, mean age 61 years) with highly stenosing esophageal carcinomas were studied with the esophagoprobe (features: diameter of 7.9 mm, bougie-shaped tip, no fiber optics, insertion over a guide wire).

RESULTS

The esophagoprobe was successfully inserted past the stenosis without complication in all patients. Nine patients (10%) required preliminary bougienage to 33 F. The imaging quality was high and allowed for complete T and N staging in all patients. M staging was indeterminate in 15 patients because of inadequate visualization of the celiac axis region. Histopathologic correlation in 38 patients who underwent surgery showed an overall T stage accuracy rate of 89% (T2 = 80%, T3 = 95%, T4 = 87%), and N and M stage accuracies of 79% (N0 = 44%, N1 = 90%) and 91% (M0 = 94%, M1 = 75%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The esophagoprobe enables safe passage of highly stenosing esophageal carcinomas for TNM staging. Accuracy rates are similar to those reported for conventional echoendoscopes.