Purpose of the study: The purpose of our study was to determine the position and value of ultrasound scan of the liver in the initial check-up of patients treated for a squamous cell carcinoma of the upper respiratory and digestive tract.
Material and methods: Our study is based on a retrospective review of 267 patients (249 males and 18 females) managed in the E.N.T. Department of Grenoble universitary hospital from 1993 to 1995 for a upper respiratory and digestive tract malignant tumor. No patient has been previously treated. The site of the primary tumor was: the oropharynx (108 cases), the hypopharynx (88 cases), the oral cavity (44 cases), the larynx (20 cases), the rhinopharynx (6 cases) and the cervical oesophagus (1 case). Endoscopic procedure with biopsy was performed for all the patients. Histologic examination revealed an invasive squamous cell carcinoma in all the cases. The complete check up included a ultrasound scan of the liver and a chest X-ray for all the patients.
Results: Ultrasound scan of the liver revealed one or several metastases in 4 cases (1.5%). The primary tumor was hypopharyngeal in 3 cases (2 stages III, 1 stage IV) and oropharyngeal in 1 case (stage III). In three cases, carcinoma was poorly differentiated. Ultrasound scan of the liver was doubtful for 8 patients (3%). The primary tumor was oropharyngeal in 6 cases (1 stage I, 3 stages III, 2 stages IV), laryngeal in 1 case (stage III) and hypopharyngeal in case (stage IV). In six cases carcinoma was well differentiated. All the complementary examinations concluded to a benign liver disease, with a mean diagnosis delay of 4 weeks for the 8 patients. The mean follow-up duration of the 8 patients was 22 months (range 9 to 42 months). None presented any metastases during the follow up.
Conclusion: Our results compared with those of the literature revealed that ultrasound scan of the liver is a few specific examination which may be recommended for hypopharyngeal tumors, or for a large cervical adenopathy (N2 or N3), a poor differentiated tumor wherever the site of the primary tumor is.