Posterior tracheal band in esophageal carcinoma

The appearance and diagnostic usefulness of the posterior tracheal band (PTB) was studied from upright chest radiographs taken from 178 individuals with diagnosed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. PTB was visualized well enough to be diagnostically useful in about 80-90% of individuals depending on the location of the carcinoma. PTB or a portion of it measured 6 mm or more in 57.1, 72.4 and 37.3% of cases of carcinoma of the upper, middle and lower third of the esophagus, respectively. While a width of 4-5 mm is frequently observed in normal patients, especially in the upper third of the PTB, a width of 6 mm or more and/or progressive widening of more than 2 mm between consecutive films is highly suggestive of pathology. Correlation between changes in PTB and operability or prognosis is poor.