[Value of panendoscopic examinations within the scope of diagnosing the extent of carcinoma of the mouth cavity].

BACKGROUND: In our department panendoscopic examinations of the tracheobronchial system, the epi-, meso,- and hypopharynx, and the upper gastrointestinal tract are obligatory with regard to the staging of oral squamous cell carcinomas, the main interest being the exclusion of synchronous secondary carcinomas. The aim of this study was to present the pathological findings in 160 panendoscopies of patients with previously untreated oral squamous cell carcinomas.

STUDY: A total of 17 synchronous carcinomas were found in 13 (8.2%) of all cases studied. They were situated in the esophagus (n = 9), the stomach (n = 1), the duodenum (n = 1), the hypopharynx (n = 1), the trachea (n = 1), and the lung (n = 4). Multiple carcinomas were found in three patients. The survival time of patients with a secondary carcinoma proved to be significantly worse than that of the other patients. The abuse of alcohol and tobacco causes a high amount of inflammatory changes in the aerodigestive system. In 27 cases (17%) ulcers of the stomach or duodenum were found, although the majority of the patients had large inflammatory mucosal alterations. In 49 cases (34.5%) a chronic tracheobronchitis could be found.

DISCUSSION: In our opinion there is an absolute indication for panendoscopic examinations of patients with oral squamous cell carcinomas. In cases with dysplastic mucosal findings these endoscopies have to be repeated on a regular basis.