Ultrasonography and three-dimensional methods of the upper gastrointestinal tract

Improved technology and new clinical methods have expanded the possibilities of using ultrasound in the daily routine of gastroenterology. Gastrointestinal ultrasonography can, in principle, be applied in two different ways in patient management. It can be used as one imaging modality among others, for which the clinicians refer the patient to a radiologist, but it can also be used as a clinical tool, similar to the stethoscope, expanding on the clinical findings and paving the way for efficient work-up of patients. Furthermore, ultrasonography has scientific applications; for example, strain rate imaging and three-dimensional ultrasound are advanced methods that allow highly specified and detailed examination of the tissue or organ of interest.