Current methods in the radiological diagnosis of oesophageal tumours

The presence of dysphagia can easily be confirmed or disproven on the basis of conventional X-ray pictures without thereby compromising the patients' well-being. Such X-ray procedures should preferably precede endoscopy, as any pathological findings thus revealed may provide clues to the use of the latter method. Double contrast procedures may yield very useful additional information in hypotension, while CT and MRT have their merits in preoperative tumour staging. (orig.)