Early esophageal carcinoma: endoscopic ultrasonography using the sonoprobe

Background: Almost all cases of superficial esophageal carcinoma are curable by endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), but a precise diagnosis of the depth of tumor invasion is necessary to assess the indication for EMR. Although endoscopy has a high rate of accuracy for diagnosing the depth of tumor invasion, it depends on the experience of the examiner in interpreting surface information of the lesions. Today, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is one of the most powerful techniques for obtaining objective tomographic images of a tumor. The high-frequency ultrasound probe is appropriate for EUS in cases of superficial esophageal carcinoma because of its excellent near-field resolution that provides precise ultrasound images under direct control of the endoscope. Methods: We performed EUS with the Sonoprobe System in 85 cases of superficial esophageal carcinoma before treatment and evaluated the resected specimens histopathologically. We interpreted the depth of tumor invasion based on our fundamental studies of ultrasonograms taken with a 20-MHz probe. Results: The clinical usefulness of the Sonoprobe with linear and radial scanning modes is due to its capacity to differentiate between mucosal and submucosal carcinoma by means of analyses of the muscularis mucosae. Although a clear assessment of microinvasion and lymphoid hyperplasia surrounding the tumor of interest remains speculative, the diagnostic accuracy rate for 96 lesions of superficial esophageal carcinoma reached 93% in terms of differentiating between mucosal from submucosal carcinoma. Conclusion: EUS with the Sonoprobe can play an important role in the pretreatment diagnosis of superficial esophageal carcinomas.