Dj. Bowrey et al., Endosonographic staging of 100 consecutive patients with esophageal carcinoma: introduction of the 8-mm esophagoprobe, DIS ESOPHAG, 12(4), 1999, pp. 258-263
Endoscopic ultrasound of esophageal carcinoma is conventionally performed u
sing the 13-mm fiberoptic/ultrasound echoendoscope, However, the large diam
eter results in an inability to negotiate the primary tumor in 25% of patie
nts. The aim of this study was first to determine whether use of the 8-mm e
sophagoprobe would overcome this problem and second to evaluate the accurac
y of the smaller diameter instrument. One hundred consecutive patients with
esophageal cancer underwent initial gastroscopy. Based upon the degree of
luminal stenosis. patients were staged with either the conventional echoend
oscope (luminal diameter greater than or equal to 15 mm) or the esophagopro
be (luminal diameter <15 mm), The primary tumor was successfully negotiated
in all subjects (echoendoscope 30, esophagoprobe 70) so that T- and N-stag
ing was accomplished in every patient. Esophageal dilatation was performed
in 12 patients (12%), The procedure was well tolerated and there were no co
mplications, in particular no patient suffered esophageal perforation, The
accuracy of the esophagoprobe for T-staging was 90% (19 out of 20) and that
for N-staging was 75% (15 out of 20), This was similar to the accuracy of
staging with the conventional echoendoscope, 90% (9 out of 10) for T-stage
and 90% (9 out of 10) for N-stage, The esophagoprobe can safely and accurat
ely stage patients with esophageal carcinoma, including those with high-gra
de stenoses.