[Ultrasound diagnosis of the stomach wall--experimental studies]

The gastrointestinal wall can be separated into 5 layers by means of ultrasonic endoscopy and also by external ultrasound when using a probe of 5 Mhz. We studied the relationship between these echographic layers and the real anatomical structures by means of in-vitro examination of surgical specimens. The anatomical layers were separated in these specimens step by step. We found that the first and the fifth hyperechoic layers are border echos. The 2. (inner echopoor layer), the 3. (middle echogenic layer) and the 4. (outer echopoor layer) correspond to the mucosa, the submucosa and the muscularis propria, respectively. In so far, the differentiation between early cancer and advanced cancer of the stomach should be possible by endoscopic ultrasonography.