Miniprobe ultrasonography and gastrointestinal tract stenosis

Malignant and nonmalignant stenosis of the gastrointestinal tract are a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Malignant stenosis is difficult to stage because the endosonographic catheter cannot be passed through the stricture. The objective of this study was to stage tumoral stenosis using a miniprobe.

We evaluated 30 patients (20 men, 10 women, average age 65 years). There were 9 nonmalignant cases and 21 malignant cases of stenosis of the gastrointestinal tract. Of the malignant cases, two were caused by extradigestive neoformations that infiltrated the wall of the digestive tract. Twelve of the remaining 19 cases were treated by surgery (63%). Echoendoscopy was done with a miniprobe through the working channel of the videoendoscope. The TNM classification was used to diagnose extension. The pathology study was used to confirm the final diagnosis after surgery for malignant lesions. Nonmalignant stenosis was confirmed in clinical follow-up.

Sensitivity of the miniprobe in determining stage T and stage N were 83% and 64% respectively.

Miniprobes provide valuable additional information in the study of stenosis of the digestive tract. Sensitivity is good in classifying tumoral T stage, and acceptable for classifying N stage, and may be improved by using low-frequency miniprobes.