Changing trends in endosonography: linear imaging and tissue are increasingly the issue

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
• Medical Imaging Technology

Background:

• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) applications are expanding, with EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) becoming integral.
• Technological advancements and evolving clinical indications have reshaped EUS practice over the past decade.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the utilization of radial, linear, and miniprobe endosonography equipment over a 10-year period.
• To analyze trends in EUS and EUS-FNA procedures at a high-volume single center.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of EUS procedures at a single, high-volume center.
• Analysis of equipment usage (radial, linear, miniprobe) over a 10-year timeframe.
• Comparison of scope preference for different indications, including cancer staging and pancreaticobiliary/mediastinal evaluations.

Main Results:

• Overall EUS and EUS-FNA volume has significantly increased.
• Radial echoendoscopes remain dominant for luminal cancer staging.
• Linear array echoendoscopes show a marked increase in use for pancreaticobiliary and mediastinal indications (from 33% to 76% and 46% to 96%, respectively).
• Linear array scope use for EUS-FNA increased substantially from 17% to 73%.

Conclusions:

• EUS practice has evolved from primarily an imaging modality to an image-guided biopsy and therapeutic tool.
• The linear array echoendoscope is increasingly the preferred tool for pancreaticobiliary and mediastinal disease evaluation and biopsy.
• This trend underscores the growing importance of interventional EUS procedures.