Recently there are many early esophageal cancer, but there are several difficulties in diagnosis of them. In X-ray studies, it is very difficult to find a small erosive esophageal cancer or dyscolouring changes of esophageal cancer. On theother hands, it is easy to find these lesions in endoscopic examinations. If endoscopic screening of esophageal lesions were aveilable, we can find more early esophageal cancer.
We tried endoscopic screening of esophageal lesion, using a flexible esophagofiberscope with small calibre. 123 patients at first visit to our hospital were performed these examinations under a superficial mucosal anaesthesia, using 4% lydocain. The esophagofiberscope, we used, had sufficient performances and we made good observations in 94.4% of all patients. In 4.6% of patients, it was difficult to make precise observations, because of reflex into the esophgus. Esophageal reflex was most prominent in patients with meals about 3 hours before. It is advisable to perform this examination on the patient with meals 4 hours before, at least. Out of 123 patients, we found 37 cases with esophageal lesions (30% of all patients); one esophageal cancer, 12 hiatus hernias, and others. There was no complications in these examinations. Patients complains little hardness or pharyngeal pain.
From these studies, we could not find early esophageal cancer, but found many benign esophageal lesions. Using the endoscopic screening of esophageal lesions, we can hope several developments in studies of esophageal diseases.
