Abstract
Background: The development of tumor cells inside the lymphatics or blood vessels is known as lymphovascular invasion (LVI). The correlation between LVI, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and the diagnosis of superficial esophageal carcinoma (SEC) remains unclear. Methods: We searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for prospective articles to better understand the relationship between LVI, LNM, and SEC diagnosis. Results: We included 28 articles containing data for 5041 patients (range: 29-498) in our meta-analysis. The hazard ratio between LVI and overall survival (OS) was 1.62 with 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.17-2.26; p = 0.004) and the odds ratio between LVI and LNM was 5.7 with 95% CI (4.43-7.33; p < 0.0001). LVI in patients diagnosed with SEC results in a poor OS rate and a higher rate of LNM. Conclusions: The results indicate that LVI plays a dominant role in the prognosis of LNM in SEC and in the prognostic prediction for SEC.Keywords: Lymphovascular invasion; lymph node metastasis; prognosis; superficial esophageal carcinoma
A Case of Upper Thoracic Superficial Esophageal Carcinoma with Intramural Metastasis to the Stomach and Lymph Node Metastasis along the Common Hepatic Artery