Early Detection of Esophageal Neoplasms by Using Fuji Intelligent Chromo Endoscopy (FICE) in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

- Objective: Our research aims to study the prevalence of esophageal tumors in patients with head and neck cancer in our country, and to compare the ability of endoscopy using flexible spectral imaging color enhancement technique (FICE) with normal white light endoscopy (WL) in the early detection of neoplastic esophageal lesions in these patients.

- Materials and Methods: A Cross-Sectional Study, conducted at Al-Mowasat University Hospital in Damascus between 1/November/2017 to 1/November/2018, on head and neck cancer patients (larynx, pharynx, tongue, lip, oral cavity, paranasal sinuses).

- Results: The study included 68 patients (mean age 52.4 years, 80.9% males). 53 patients had normal esophagoscopy, 10 cases of inflammation were detected, malignant lesions in the esophagus were 7.4% (5 patients): Low-grade dysplasia in two cases, high-grade dysplasia in one cases, SCC in one case, and adenocarcinoma in one case as well. Esophagoscopy using normal white light in detecting malignant esophageal lesions was excellent (sensitivity 80%, specificity 96.2%, positive predictive value 66.7%, negative predictive value 98.1%, accuracy 94.8%), but FICE technique was superior (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98.1%, positive predictive value 83.3%, negative predictive value 100%, accuracy 98.3%).

- Conclusions: The prevalence of neoplastic esophageal lesions in patients with head and neck tumors was 7.4%. The FICE technique was superior to normal white light in detecting esophageal lesions.