Computed tomographic findings in 28 patients with histologically proven esophageal carcinoma were reviewed. In 12 of these patients, CT findings were correlated with operative findings. CT accurately diagnosed 27 of 28 patients (96%), and failed to diagnose one case of esophageal carcinoma in sity. CT findings of the 28 patients included esophageal wall thickening, proximal dilatation, invasion to adjacent organ and distant metastasis. Common organs of invasion were periesophageal fat, tracheobronchial trees, left atricum, n descending order. The incidence of adjacent organ invasion has a tendency to increase depending on the length of esophageal in 83%, and lymph node metastasis in 75%. Consequently CT shows good diagnostic saccuracy of esophageal cancer, but has some limitations in predicting periesophageal spread and lymph node metastasis in staging of esophageal carcinoma.