Management of esophageal cancer in patients with a right aortic arch or double aortic arch: a case series of 34 cases

BACKGROUND

Few cases describing patients with a right aortic arch (RAA) or double aortic arch (DAA) and esophageal cancer (EC) have been reported.

METHODS

We analyzed RAA and DAA cases treated with esophagectomy in our center's database and reported in English-language studies until April 1, 2023. Our study assessed the malformation characteristics and surgical details of EC patients with RAA and DAA.

RESULTS

We extracted data of 24 EC patients with RAAs and 10 EC patients with DAAs. In both groups, the patients were more likely to be Japanese and male, to have squamous cell carcinoma and to have tumors located in the upper thoracic esophagus or middle thoracic esophagus. Left thoracotomy was commonly applied for RAA patients. For DAA patients, the proportions of left-sided and right-sided approaches were similar. Esophagectomy under video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in RAA or DAA patients had been performed on a routine basis in recent years. There were two anastomotic leakages in each group. Specifically, Kommerell diverticulum rupture occurred in 1 RAA patient; gastric tube dilation occurred in 1 DAA patient; and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury occurred in 2 RAA patients. The postoperative course was uneventful for most patients in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

Esophageal carcinoma is rarely seen in patients with an RAA or DAA. To adequately dissect superior mediastinal LNs, an auxiliary incision (such as sternotomy), the left door open method or a preceding cervical procedure should be used appropriately. Esophagectomy, whether via thoracotomy or thoracoscopic surgery, can be performed safely for both RAA and DAA.

Esophageal cancer with a double aortic arch: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Double aortic arch (DAA) is an extremely rare vascular malformation, even more so when coexisting with esophageal cancer.

METHODS

We report a new case of DAA with esophageal cancer recently seen at our Thoracic Tumor Clinic and review cases of DAA coexisting with esophageal cancer reported in the literature of English language from 2010 to 2020. The purposes of our literature review were to explore how to best achieve radical esophagectomy while reducing postoperative complications. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic method, surgical approach, reconstruction route, and the extent of lymphadenectomy of esophageal cancer with DAA were analyzed in detail.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

For such patients, 3D computed tomography is necessary for preoperative diagnosis. The surgical approach should consider factors such as the location of the tumor in the esophagus and whether the tumor is surrounded by DAA, as well as the position of the descending aorta and the requirements for the surgical field for lymphadenectomy. If esophageal reconstruction is required, the retrosternal route is preferred. We recommend that only patients with positive results of intraoperative frozen biopsy of recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes should undergo three-field lymphadenectomy, which may be the best method to achieve radical esophagectomy for middle and lower esophageal cancers with DAA while minimizing postoperative complications.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer in a patient with a double aortic arch: a report of a case

BACKGROUND

We encountered an esophageal cancer patient with a double aortic arch (DAA) who underwent radical thoracoscopic esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection. A DAA generally makes it difficult to perform upper mediastinal lymph node dissection via both sides of the thoracic cavity. Furthermore, most patients with a DAA have a superior right aortic arch and right-sided descending aorta, which hampers radical esophagectomy with a typical right thoracic approach. We herein report our operative strategy of thoracoscopic esophagectomy via the left side of the thoracic cavity with a preceding cervical procedure.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 64-year-old man was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the upper esophagus at clinical Stage IIB (cT1bN1M0) according to the UICC-TNM classification 7th edition. First, we planned the preceding cervical procedure to complete upper mediastinal lymph node dissection, as the DAA prevented a bilateral thoracic approach to the upper mediastinum. We then planned the left thoracoscopic procedure to perform lymph node dissection below the left aortic arch, as the patient in our case had a right side-dominant DAA and right-sided descending aorta, as is common in such patients. We identified the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves during upper mediastinal lymph node dissection in the preceding cervical procedure and ultimately successfully resected the patient's esophageal cancer.

CONCLUSION

The cervical procedure preceding the left-thoracoscopic approach is reasonable for achieving radical esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer in patients with a DAA.