The role of trans-nasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy in screening investigation and preoperative evaluation for transoral surgery （TOS） in superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

In recent years, advances in image-enhanced endoscopy have enabled the early detection of superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) .This study aimed to evaluate the role of trans-nasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for screening superficial SCCHN and in preoperative assessment prior to transoral surgery (TOS) .A total of 192 patients who underwent trans-nasal EGD for screening in our outpatient clinic between January 2021 and December 2022, as well as 30 patients who underwent trans-nasal EGD as part of the preoperative evaluation for TOS, were included in this study.During screening, a total of 126 lesions were detected, with the hypopharynx being the most frequent subsite.In the preoperative assessment of TOS cases, trans-nasal EGD was preferentially performed for superficial lesions presenting as brownish areas.Trans-nasal EGD, which provides high-resolution and high-contrast images, may contribute to lesion detection and detailed assessment of tumor extent, and may provide supplementary information for treatment decisionmaking and surgical margin planning.