Tytgat G N
Academic Medical Centre, Department of Gastroenterology-Hepatology, Amsterdam Zuidoost, The Netherlands.
Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1993 May 29;123(21):1088-97.
Esophageal carcinoma is a highly lethal disease with a dismal prognosis. Essential elements in the diagnosis of esophageal cancer are: a high index of suspicion; adequate knowledge of the precancerous conditions; optimal radiological examination; expert endoscopy with multiple biopsies and/or cytology; final staging including endoscopic ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI and, whenever appropriate, laryngo-bronchoscopy and ultrasonography with cytological puncture of cervical lymph nodes. This overview mainly concentrates on X-ray, endoscopy, endosonography and CT scanning. At present the routine use of MRI for preoperative staging cannot be recommended.
