Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Patterns of lymphatic drainage and lymph node involvement in esophageal cancer

  • Published:
Abdominal Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The esophagus has a complex pattern of lymphatic drainage. Lymph node involvement and number of lymph node metastases are very important prognostic factors, and the newly revised TNM staging system for esophageal cancer reflects this. Knowledge of the location and nomenclature of the common nodal stations in the thorax and upper abdomen is essential for the accurate staging of these patients. PET–CT and EUS are essential in the routine staging of esophageal cancer patients. The aim of this pictorial review is to present the nodal stations, nomenclature and location of regional lymph nodes in esophageal cancer using PET–CT and EUS images from selected patient cases. We will review the EUS and PET–CT imaging for a number of patients with esophageal cancer, using cases which highlight the advantages and diagnostic pitfalls for these imaging modalities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Peyre CG, et al. (2008) Predicting systemic disease in patients with esophageal cancer after esophagectomy: a multinational study on the significance of the number of involved lymph nodes. Ann Surg 248(6):979–985

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. DeMeester SR (2006) Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia: a review of the disease and its treatment. Ann Surg Oncol 13(1):12–30

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rice TW, Blackstone EH, Rusch VW (2010) 7th edition of the AJCC cancer staging manual: esophagus and esophagogastric junction. Ann Surg Oncol 17(7):1721–1724

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Allum WH, et al. (2011) Guidelines for the management of oesophageal and gastric cancer. Gut 60(11):1449–1472

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chowdhury FU, Bradley KM, Gleeson FV (2008) The role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the evaluation of oesophageal carcinoma. Clin Radiol 63(12):1297–1309

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Riquet M, et al. (1993) Lymphatic drainage of the esophagus in the adult. Surg Radiol Anat 15(3):209–211

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kayani B, et al. (2011) Lymph node metastases and prognosis in oesophageal carcinoma—a systematic review. Eur J Surg Oncol 37(9):747–753

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Rusch VW (2009) The IASLC lung cancer staging project: a proposal for a new international lymph node map in the forthcoming seventh edition of the TNM classification for lung cancer. J Thorac Oncol 4(5):568–577

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. AJCC (2002) Esophagus. In: AJCC (ed) AJCC cancer staging manual. New York: Springer, pp 91–98

  10. Schnyder PA, Gamsu G (1981) CT of the pretracheal retrocaval space. AJR Am J Roentgenol 136(2):303–308

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Schroder W, et al. (2002) Lymph node staging of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in patients with and without neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy: histomorphologic analysis. World J Surg 26(5):584–587

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bruzzi JF, et al. (2007) PET/CT of esophageal cancer: its role in clinical management. Radiographics 27(6):1635–1652

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lightdale CJ, Kulkarni KG (2005) Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in the staging and follow-up of esophageal cancer. J Clin Oncol 23(20):4483–4489

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors have no disclosures or acknowledgements.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. M. Howard.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Howard, J.M., Johnston, C. Patterns of lymphatic drainage and lymph node involvement in esophageal cancer. Abdom Imaging 38, 233–243 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-012-9914-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-012-9914-2

Keywords

Navigation