ArticleCureus2026
Dysphagia Secondary to Extrinsic Esophageal Compression From an Anterior Mediastinal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Dysphagia is commonly attributed to intrinsic esophageal pathology; however, extrinsic compression from mediastinal processes remains an important and often underrecognized cause. We report the case of a 69-year-old man who presented with acute dysphagia due to food impaction. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy successfully relieved the obstruction but revealed no intrinsic lesion, instead demonstrating extrinsic compression of the upper esophagus. Subsequent cross-sectional imaging identified a large anterior mediastinal mass extending into the left neck, encasing the aortic arch and its branches, and causing significant esophageal deviation and stenosis. Laboratory evaluation was notable for leukocytosis, anemia, elevated inflammatory markers, and an elevated carcinoembryonic antigen level. Initial attempts at tissue diagnosis, including ultrasound-guided axillary lymph node sampling and endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, were nondiagnostic due to insufficient or nonrepresentative tissue. Given persistent high clinical suspicion, further tissue sampling was pursued, ultimately establishing a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. This case highlights the diagnostic limitations of endoscopy in the evaluation of extraluminal disease, the challenges of tissue acquisition in mediastinal pathology, and the critical importance of persistence following nondiagnostic biopsies. An imaging-driven, multidisciplinary approach is essential for accurate diagnosis and timely management in patients with suspected mediastinal malignancy.
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Registered trials
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