Bronchoscopy and carcinoma of the esophagus I. Findings of bronchoscopy in carcinoma of the esophagus.

Tracheobronchial involvement frequently occurs in patients with carcinoma of the esophagus. A study of the results of 525 bronchoscopies performed on patients with carcinoma of the esophagus who were evaluated for surgery revealed that abnormalities were found in 33.9 percent. The incidence was highest for those with cervical and upper-third thoracic tumors; however, a significant number of lower-third thoracic and abdominal tumors also showed abnormalities (12.5 and 5 percent, respectively). The incidence was also higher with large tumors, but again, a significant number of apparently small tumors also showed abnormalities. The abnormalities could be broadly classified into two groups: those showing only impingement and those showing actual invasion. Further studies are needed to determine whether the tumors with impingement are resectable.