Endoscopic ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound
Medical diagnostics
In this endoscopic ultrasound image, a mass (in this case, from lung cancer) is visualized using an ultrasound probe (EUS) inserted into the esophagus.
MeSH	D019160
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Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or echo-endoscopy is a medical procedure in which endoscopy (insertion of a probe into a hollow organ) is combined with ultrasound to obtain images of the internal organs in the chest , abdomen and colon. It can be used to visualize the walls of these organs, or to look at adjacent structures. Combined with Doppler imaging, nearby blood vessels can also be evaluated.

Endoscopic ultrasonography is most commonly used in the upper digestive tract and in the respiratory system. The procedure is performed by gastroenterologists or pulmonologists who have had extensive training. For the patient, the procedure feels almost identical to the endoscopic procedure without the ultrasound part, unless ultrasound-guided biopsy of deeper structures is performed.

For endoscopic ultrasound of the upper digestive tract, a probe is inserted into the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum during a procedure called esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Among other uses, it allows for screening for pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer, as well as benign tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract. It also allows for characterization and biopsy of any focal lesions found in the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as esophageal tuberculosis. This is done by inserting a needle through the stomach lining into the target. Less commonly this procedure is used to identify malformations and masses in the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts.

Endoscopic ultrasound is performed with the patient sedated. The endoscope is passed through the mouth and advanced through the esophagus to the suspicious area. From various positions between the esophagus and duodenum, organs within and outside the gastrointestinal tract can be imaged to see if they are abnormal, and they can be biopsied by a process called fine needle aspiration. Organs such as the liver, pancreas, and adrenal glands are easily biopsied, as are any abnormal lymph nodes. In addition, the gastrointestinal wall itself can be imaged to see if it is abnormally thick, suggesting inflammation or malignancy.