Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Location, Dissection, and Analysis of the Murine Stellate Ganglion
Published on: December 22, 2020
Neural ganglia visualized by endoscopic ultrasound
Michael Levy1, Elizabeth Rajan, Gary Keeney
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, MAyo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55906, USA.
Objectives:
To describe visualization of gastrointestinal neural ganglia by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).
Methods:
We retrospectively identified patients in whom neural ganglia were visualized during EUS and the diagnosis of ganglion confirmed by EUS guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology.
Results:
Ten patients were identified. Celiac ganglia were visualized in nine, and a perirectal ganglion was visualized in one. Ganglia appeared as discrete hypoechoic structures, often with associated hypoechoic threads that may represent neural rami. Aspiration of ganglia yielded scant material and caused transient pain. Ganglia were best visualized with linear array echoendoscopes. Celiac ganglia (but not the perirectal ganglion) were retrospectively identified on computed tomography scans.
Conclusions:
Gastrointestinal neural ganglia can be imaged by EUS and their identity confirmed by EUS FNA.
