J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 83(3): 277-284, 1982

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Original article

LYMPH NODES REACTION IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF THE THORACIC ESOPHAGUS
－IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOCAL AND GENERAL IMMUNOLOGIC RESPONSE－

It is known that sinus histiocytosis (SH) in lymph nodes represents morphological evidence of host immunologic response to cancer, and that this response is observed in a significantly higher incidence in malignant tumors in contrast to normal or benign lesions. On the other hand, scalene lymph node response of SH is considered to have a potential significance as a diagnostic, rather than merely a prognostic, indicator in malignant tumor of the intrathoracic organs. Sinus histiocytosis and follicular hyperplasia in supraclavicular and upper mediastinal lymph nodes from 32 patients with cancer of the esophagus were studied as indicators for both immunologic reactivity and diagnostic information suggesting intrathoracic primary neoplasms. SH response in scalene lymph nodes was positive in 50% on the right side and 25.8% on the left side in all cases, however, and it was positive in 85.7% in right side and 50% in left side scalene nodes in patients with mediastinal lymph node involved in esophageal cancer, although incidence of SH-positive was 27.3% and 13.3% on right and left side nodes, respectively in mediastinal non-cancer bearing patients. SH response in scalene nodes might serve as indicator for esophageal cancer accompanied by an upper mediastinal metastatic involvement rather than as an useful immunologic or prognostic information.

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