ULTRASONIC ESOPHAGOPROBE FOR TNM STAGING OF HIGHLY STENOSING ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA

Background: Endosonographic staging of esophageal carcinoma may be lim ited in one third of cases by tumor stenoses that cannot be traversed with conventional echoendoscopes. We designed and evaluated a new endo sonographic instrument (ultrasonic esophagoprobe) for TNM staging of h ighly stenosing esophageal carcinomas. Methods: Eighty-seven consecuti ve patients (64 men, mean age 61 years) with highly stenosing esophage al carcinomas were studied with the esophagoprobe (features: diameter of 7.9 mm, bougie-shaped tip, no fiberoptics, insertion over a guide w ire). Results: The esophagoprobe was successfully inserted past the st enosis without complication in all patients. Nine patients (10%) requi red preliminary bougienage to 33F. The imaging quality was high and al lowed for complete T and N staging in all patients. M staging was inde terminate in 15 patients because of inadequate visualization of the ce liac axis region. Histopathologic correlation in 38 patients who under went surgery showed an overall T stage accuracy rate of 89% (T2 = 80%, T3 = 95%, T4 = 87%), and N and M stage accuracies of 79% (NO = 44%, N 1 = 90%) and 91% (MO = 94%, M1 = 75%), respectively. Conclusions: The esophagoprobe enables safe passage of highly stenosing esophageal carc inomas for TNM staging. Accuracy rates are similar to those reported f or conventional echoendoscopes.