Echography in the pretherapeutic evaluation of esophageal cancers. Apropos of 102 cases
Scherrer, A.; Wais, L.; Menu, Y.; Gayet, B.
Journal de Radiologie 64(12): 681-685
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0221-0363 PMID: 6663566 Document Number: 213313
A retrospective study was undertaken of abdominal echography in mode B with manual scanning in assessing the spread of 102 carcinomas pf the oesophagus. This showed echography to be reliable in the diagnosis of hepatic metastases (accuracy of method = 93%), ineffective in detecting coeliac lymph node involvement and specific in the recognition of fatty infiltration and steatofibrosis of the liver. However, with regard to hepatic metastases, the existence of false positives and false negatives, even few in number, was such that echography could not influence final decisions as to treatment. The authors feel that histopathological proof in doubtful cases by cytological puncture using a fine needle would avoid false positives and thus give echography its full value.