Endoscopic ultrasound in clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a valuable imaging modality.
• It overcomes limitations of conventional diagnostic methods.
• EUS allows for tissue acquisition through EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diagnostic and staging accuracy of EUS.
• To discuss the key indications and therapeutic applications of EUS.
• To emphasize EUS's role in modern gastroenterology.

Main Methods:

• EUS for differentiating submucosal tumors.
• EUS for staging gastrointestinal and mediastinal neoplasia (e.g., TNM system).
• EUS-guided FNA for histologic diagnosis and lymph node staging.

Main Results:

• EUS accurately distinguishes extrinsic compressions from intramural lesions.
• EUS is crucial for staging esophageal, gastric, duodenal, and rectal cancers.
• EUS-guided FNA improves detection of malignant lymph node invasion.
• EUS demonstrates high sensitivity for choledocholithiasis, reducing need for ERCP.
• Therapeutic uses include pseudocyst drainage and celiac plexus block.

Conclusions:

• EUS is an indispensable diagnostic tool in gastroenterology.
• Its applications span diagnosis, staging, and therapeutics.
• EUS should be integrated into standard endoscopy units.