The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 70, 367-370, Copyright © 1975 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Carcinoma of the esophagus and cardia: diagnostic evaluation in 113 cases
HC Bruni and RS Nelson
Fiberoptic endoscopy with directed biopsy and brush cytology was used to
diagnose 73 patients with squamous carcinoma of the esophagus and 40
adenocarcinomas of the gastric fundus invading the lower esophagus.
Over-all accuracy of histologic diagnosis in the esophagus was 95.8 per
cent and in the cardia, 97.5 per cent. Multiple biopsies (6 to 8) and brush
cytology complemented one another in providing a high index of reliable
histologic diagnoses. There were no complications. Endoscopy with the
fiberoptic scope as now performed is well tolerated and accurate. It
appears to be the most reliable means of diagnosis in cancer of the
esophagus and cardia and should be performed routinely in all patients with
symptoms referable to the esophagus.