Recurrent esophageal carcinoma: CT evaluation after esophagectomy.

PURPOSE: Computed tomographic (CT) scans were retrospectively reviewed for evidence of (a) intragastric soft-tissue mass or gastric wall thickening, (b) extragastric soft-tissue mass or mediastinal lymph node enlargement (local-regional disease), (c) abdominal lymph node enlargement, and (d) metastatic disease to distant organs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with a clinical suspicion of recurrent esophageal carcinoma underwent CT. The thoracic level of local-regional recurrence was compared with the level of the primary tumor. RESULTS: Proof of recurrence status was obtained in 52 of 58 patients. Of the 58 patients, 36 (62%) had CT findings of recurrence, 16 (28%) had no CT findings of recurrence, and six (10%) had CT findings questionable for recurrence. CT accuracy for determining recurrence status was 87%. There was no correlation between the level of primary tumor and that of recurrence. CONCLUSION: At CT, tumor recurrences were most commonly seen as some combination of local-regional disease, distant metastases, and abdominal lymph node enlargement. CT findings isolated to one region were seen only occasionally.