Use of Sonography for Evaluation of the Cervical and Thoracic Esophagus in Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the normal sonographic appearance of the cervical and thoracic esophagus and to provide corresponding measurements in healthy children. In this prospective study, 93 children (51 girls and 42 boys) 1 to 15 years of age were examined sonographically. With the patient in a supine position for evaluation of the cervical esophagus, the ultrasound transducer was placed on both sides of the trachea. To evaluate the thoracic esophagus, the hands were raised over the head, and the ultrasound transducer was placed along the left side of the sternum. The length of the cervical esophagus was measured longitudinally, and the anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the cervical and thoracic esophagus were measured transversely, as was the thickness of the cervical esophageal wall. The cervical esophagus was identified in all of the children, whereas the thoracic esophagus was shown in 41 (44%) of the 93 participants. The length of the cervical esophagus and anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the cervical and thoracic esophagus increased with age. The mean thickness of the cervical esophagus was 2.8 mm at all ages. The cervical esophageal wall appeared as 5 layers on the sonograms, and the lumen was distinct. Evaluation of the cervical esophagus was readily achievable with sonography in children, whereas visualization of the thoracic esophagus was difficult because of the deep location, small size, and influence of bones and gas in the lungs. Conventional sonography can be easily used in the evaluation of cervical esophageal diseases in children.