Endoscopic findings of 100 early-stage esophageal cancers.

The morphologic analysis of 100 early squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus has shown that the barely visible or invisible forms (erythroplakias and occult forms) are predominant. This explains the poor yield of upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopies in detecting early cancers, at least in Western countries. Leucoerythroplakias correspond to the most advanced form of early cancers (submucosal invasion in approximately 38% of cases).

[Precancerous conditions of the esophagus].

In the upper aerodigestive tract, carcinogenesis in squamous cell mucosa is characterized by a tendency to field carcinogenesis leading to multicentricity of lesions and synchronous or metachronous multiple tumoral lesions, namely multifocality. During pretherapy broncho-esophagoscopy carried out on ENT-cancer patients, the rate of synchronous second primary cancer is 24%. In 85% of the cases, these second primaries are detected at an early stage (in situ, microinvasive or submucosal carcinoma) and do not give rise to symptoms.

[Is papilloma of the esophagus a preneoplastic lesion? Study of 33 cases].

The etiology of esophagus papilloma is much debated: some authors attach greater importance to irritation factors, while others give preference to the viral hypothesis and suggest that this disease could eventually lead to squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. To verify the viral hypothesis, we reviewed the histological slides of the 33 cases of esophageal papilloma diagnosed in our Institute of Pathology between 1973 and 1988. We evaluated the histological diagnosis using Winckler's criteria.

[Etiopathogenicity of cervicomediastinal emphysema].

Cervical and mediastinal emphysema is a rather rare phenomenon, that may happen in various clinical situations. The ENT-specialist is commonly involved in diagnostic as well as in therapeutic procedures. This retrospective study of 116 cases shows three different ethiopathogenic mechanisms: a direct trauma, a pressure gradient and a local gaz production in the soft tissues.