[Thinking out of the tube: endoscopic findings in oral cavity, pharynx and larynx during flexible esophagogastroduodenoscopy].

Abstract

During a flexible esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), the oral cavity and significant regions of the pharynx (oropharynx, hypopharynx), as well as the larynx, can usually be examined with a high resolution. Numerous benign and malignant findings of considerable clinical relevance can occur in this region of the digestive tract, which can be inspected during a gastroscopy and treated subsequently. Remarkably, head and neck tumors represent a heterogeneous group of malignant diseases and account for ca. 4 % of cancers diagnosed in men in Germany.This review presents benign and malignant findings assessed during routine endoscopy in the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx discussing them in the context of an extensive literature review.Common benign and malignant findings in the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx are easy to diagnose visually with a reasonable amount of additional time and histological confirmation is possible in selected cases. We describe a proposal for a structured examination procedure.Careful routine inspection of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx during gastroscopy can reveal pathological findings and diagnose them at an early stage, especially in people at risk, but also in the general population.