Endoscopic ultrasonography - emerging applications in hepatology

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Upper endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) provides detailed liver imaging.
• EUS is valuable for studying parenchymal liver disease and focal liver lesions.
• EUS aids in understanding portal hypertension and its prognostic implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current applications of EUS in liver disease management.
• To highlight EUS's role in diagnosing and classifying liver lesions.
• To discuss the utility of EUS in evaluating portal hypertension and hemodynamics.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on EUS in liver disease.
• Analysis of EUS imaging for parenchymal liver disease and focal lesions.
• Examination of EUS for portal hypertension and hemodynamic assessment, including EUS-guided portal vein catheterization.

Main Results:

• EUS enables detailed visualization of liver segments, aiding in disease diagnosis.
• EUS is effective for characterizing focal liver lesions.
• EUS is crucial for assessing collateral circulation in portal hypertension and direct portal pressure measurement.

Conclusions:

• EUS is an indispensable tool for liver disease evaluation, irrespective of the initial indication.
• EUS facilitates accurate diagnosis and classification of liver pathologies.
• EUS provides critical insights into portal hemodynamics, aiding clinical management and prognosis.