The Diagnosis of the Anomalous Connection of Pancreaticobiliary Ducts Without Biliary Dilatation—The Usefulness of US/EUS Serial Examination—

The anomalous connection of the pancreaticobiliary duct (ACPBD) without accompanying dilatation of the bile duct (non-dilated type of ACPBD) has recently been found to be associated with gallbladder cancer at a rather high rate. We analyzed the diagnostic process of 5 patients with non-dilated type of ACPBD including 3 asymptomatic cases and reviewed the literature. Symptoms and laboratory data were not useful in detecting this type of lesion. All our patients were checked by ultrasonography for gallbladder lesions which are suggested by: wall thickening, multiple polyps, intramural gall stones, cholecystolithiaisis, and debris. ACT revealed only wall thickening of the gallbladder. An EUS revealed a high rate of ACPBD in addition to the ultrasonographic findings of gallbladder lesions obtained by US. An ERCP was effective in clearly demonstrating ACPBD, but was not so useful for the diagnosis of concomitant gallbladder lesions. Therefore, an US is considered to be a useful means for screening this disease, and EUS is useful as a procedure to follow in order to select patients with or without ACPBD, because EUS can be conducted on an outpatient basis and is highly sensitive in detecting ductal anomalies in ACPBD. Therefore, the US/EUS serial examination is thought to be an effective means for diagnosing this disease.     

Colour Doppler-guided spectral analysis of gall-bladder wall flow

For the purpose of the present study to diagnose gall-bladder cancers, which cannot be detected or are only partly visible by conventional ultrasonography (US), we attempted differential diagnoses of 69 patients with gall-bladder diseases (12 with gall-bladder cancer, five with acute cholecystitis, 11 with chronic cholecystitis, 27 with cholesterol polyp and 14 with adenomyomatosis) using the evaluation of gall-bladder wall blood flow (GWBF). GWBF was evaluated by colour Doppler-guided spectral analysis (CDSA). Thirty-three healthy volunteers were selected as controls at random. Two parameters of GWBF, namely flow velocity and resistive index (RI), were compared between patients with gall-bladder diseases and healthy volunteers. GWBF could be ultrasonically evaluated in 92 (90%) of 102 subjects. All 12 patients with gall-bladder cancer had a significantly rapid blood flow value compared with other patients and healthy volunteers. There was no significant difference in RI among patients and healthy volunteers. When cut-off level of the flow velocity was set at 30 cm/s, gall-bladder cancer could be diagnosed by flow velocity with 100% sensitivity (12/12) and 96% specificity (50/52). Using the same cut-off level of the flow velocity, 17 patients were analysed prospectively. In four asymptomatic gall-bladder cancers and two acute cholecystitis cases with some symptoms, the flow velocity was over 30 cm/s. In two of four patients with gall-bladder cancer, only a part of the tumour was visualized on conventional abdominal US. In conclusion, CDSA was more useful for diagnosing gall-bladder lesions than the conventional abdominal US due to estimation of arterial flow velocity in the gall-bladder wall.     

Usefulness and Limitations of Endoscopic Ultrasonography in Diagnosis of Adenomyomatosis of the Gallbladder

Abstract: Although endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is commonly used to examine lesions in the gallbladder, its ability to accurately diagnose adenomyomatosis (ADM) has not been evaluated. We compared the accuracy of EUS and various other imaging techniques in the diagnosis of ADM. Thirty-one patients undergoing cholecystectomy after elevated lesions were found in the gallbladder by various imaging techniques were studied retrospectively. Based on histopathologic examination, the sensitivity and specificity of EUS were evaluated in ADM. The sensitivity of abdominal ultrasonography, CT and ERCP in ADM were also evaluated. Of the 11 patients diagnosed with ADM by EUS, 9 cases were confirmed histologically (81.8%). Of the 11 patients with histologic diagnosis of ADM, 9 were accurately diagnosed preoperatively by EUS (81.8%). EUS proved more reliable for diagnosis of ADM than the other imaging techniques. Important diagnostic features include preservation of the three-layered structure of the gallbladder, wall-thickening exceeding 3 mm, and 2 or more Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses occurring within a 1 cm area of the gallbladder.     

内镜超声检查对胆总管扩张的诊断价值

目的评价内镜超声检查(EUS)对胆总管扩张的病因诊断价值。方法32例患者在EUS 前均做过体表B超检查。患者的病因诊断均在病理或手术(包括奥狄括约肌切开取石)后确定。结果(1)32例患者的B超及EUS对胆总管直径的测定结果分别为(1.04±0.41)cm和(0.97±0.36)cm,两者差异无显著性(P＞0.05)。(2)对胆总管扩张的病因诊断率EUS为29/32(90.6％),明显高于体表B超19/32(59.4％),P＜0.01;X线电子计算机断层扫描(CT)21/32(65.6％),P＜0.05。EUS与磁共振胆胰管成像(MRCP)13/16(81.3％)和内镜逆行胰胆管造影(ERCP)31/32(96.9％)诊断率 相似(P＞0.05)。结论EUS对胆总管扩张的病因有很高的诊断价值。     

内镜超声检查对胆囊癌的诊断价值

目的探讨内镜超声检查(EUS)对胆囊癌的诊断价值.方法对18例胆囊癌患者行EUS检查并与体表B超(B超),X线电子计算机断层扫描(CT)/磁共振成像(MR1)结果进行比较.结果18例中,EUS诊断17例,CT/MRI诊断15例,B超诊断5例.EUS诊断胆囊癌的敏感性与准确性高于B超,与CT/MRI相当.13例行手术治疗,与手术病理比较,EUS诊断正确率为92%,CT/MRI为76.9%(P＞0.05),B超为41.6%(P＜0.01).EUS对小病灶的显示明显优于B超,并优于CT/MRI.结论EUS对胆囊癌有较高的诊断价值.     

Importance of early diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction without biliary dilatation

AIM: To clarify the strategy for early diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) without biliary dilatation and to pathologically examine gallbladder before cancer develops.METHODS: The anatomy of the union of the pancreatic and bile ducts was assessed by using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Patients with a long common channel in which communication between the pancreatic and bile ducts was maintained even during sphincter contraction were diagnosed as having PBM. Of these, patients in which the maximal diameter of the bile duct was less than 10 mm were diagnosed with PBM without biliary dilatation. The process of diagnosing 54 patients with PBM without biliary dilatation was retrospectively investigated. Histopathological analysis of resected gallbladder specimens from 8 patients with PBM without biliary dilatation or cancer was conducted.RESULTS: Thirty-six PBM patients without biliary dilatation were diagnosed with gallbladder cancer after showing clinical symptoms such as abdominal or back pain (n = 16) or jaundice (n = 12). Radical surgery for gallbladder cancer was only possible in 11 patients (31%) and only 4 patients (11%) survived for 5 years. Eight patients were suspected as having PBM without biliary dilatation from the finding of gallbladder wall thickening on ultrasound and the diagnosis was confirmed by ERCP and/or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). The median age of these 8 patients was younger by a decade than PBM patients with gallbladder cancer. All 8 patients underwent prophylactic cholecystectomy and bile duct cancer has not occurred. Wall thickness and mucosal height of the 8 resected gallbladders were significantly greater than controls, and hyperplastic changes, hypertrophic muscular layer, subserosal fibrosis, and adenomyomatosis were detected in 7 (88%), 5 (63%), 7 (88%) and 5 (63%) patients, respectively. Ki-67 labeling index was high and K-ras mutation was detected in 3 of 6 patients.CONCLUSION: To detect PBM without biliary dilatation before onset of gallbladder cancer, we should perform MRCP for individuals showing increased gallbladder wall thickness on ultrasound.     

Differential diagnosis of benign and malignant branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm using contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography

AIM: To elucidate the role of contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography (CE-EUS) in the diagnosis of branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (BD-IPMN).METHODS: A total of 50 patients diagnosed with BD-IPMN by computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) at our institute were included in this study. CE-EUS was performed when mural lesions were detected by EUS. The diagnostic accuracy for identifying mural nodules (MNs) was evaluated by CT, EUS, and EUS combined with CE-EUS. In the patients who underwent resection, the accuracy of measuring MN height with each imaging modality was compared. The cut-off values to diagnose malignant BD-IPMNs based on MN height for each imaging modality were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.RESULTS: Fifteen patients were diagnosed with BD-IPMN with MNs and underwent resection. The remaining 35 patients were diagnosed with BD-IPMN without MNs and underwent follow-up monitoring. The pathological findings revealed 14 cases with MNs and one case without. The accuracy for diagnosing MNs was 92% using CT and 72% using EUS; the diagnostic accuracy increased to 98% when EUS and CE-EUS were combined. The accuracy for measuring MN height significantly improved when using CE-EUS compared with using CT or EUS (median measurement error value, CT: 3.3 mm vs CE-EUS: 0.6 mm, P < 0.05; EUS: 2.1 mm vs CE-EUS: 0.6 mm, P < 0.01). A cut-off value of 8.8 mm for MN height as measured by CE-EUS improved the accuracy of diagnosing malignant BD-IPMN to 93%.CONCLUSION: Using CE-EUS to measure MN height provides a highly accurate method for differentiating benign from malignant BD-IPMN.     

Evaluating the role of imaging methods in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of imaging methods in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in improving the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis of CP. METHODS: The results of the imaging methods used for 129 cases diagnosed as CP in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1991 to 2000 were retrospectively analyzed. The imaging methods included ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). RESULTS: The sensitivity of EUS and MRCP was high and was in good agreement with ERCP in the diagnosis of CP. The sensitivity of ERCP was superior to US and CT (P < 0.05). The sensitivity of US and CT for diagnosing dilation of the pancreatic duct was 59.4% and 60%, respectively, the specificity was 93.8% and 95.7%, respectively. BT‐PABA had a better correlation with ERCP in the group with severe changes of the pancreatic duct than in the mild or moderate group. The more complications of CP that were present, the more severe the lesions of the pancreatic duct. CONCLUSION: Among the traditional imaging modalities for diagnosing CP, ERCP is the most sensitive. MRCP and EUS, the promising and novel examination techniques, have high sensitivity and good agreement with ERCP.     

内镜超声对胰腺癌的诊断

目的 探讨内镜超声（EUS）检查对胰腺癌的诊断价值。方法 对116例胰腺癌患者行EUS检查，其中16例经管内超声（IDUS）检查并与体表B超（B超），CT，磁共振成像（MRI），内镜逆行胰胆管造影（ERCP）检查结果进行比较。结果 EUS（IDUS)诊断胰腺癌的敏感性与准确性均明显高于B超，与CT，MRI及ERCP相当，EUS诊断准确率为98．2％（114／116），IDUS为100％（16／16）；CT为85．3％（99／116）；MRI为87．0％（54／62）；ERCP为80．6％（79／98）；B超为73．2％（85／116）。结论 EUS对胰腺癌有较大的诊断价值。     

Usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound for acquiring the pathological diagnosis of gastrointestinal lymphoma

Background and study aimsThis study aims to assess the value of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for acquiring a pathological diagnosis of gastrointestinal lymphoma (GIL).Patients and methodsWe retrospectively reviewed all GIL patients who underwent EUS from November 2011 to July 2020 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. All patients with pathologically confirmed GIL were included. The characteristics of the lesions were recorded, and the efficacy for acquiring pathologic diagnosis between white light endoscopy (WLE) and EUS was analyzed.ResultsIn total, 404 patients with GIL who underwent EUS examination were included in this study. GIL was confirmed in 143 cases by after EUS judgment biopsy (AEJ biopsy), 11 cases by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), 293 cases by WLE biopsy, and 10 cases by surgical pathology for repeated negative pathologic results from EUS and WLE. Among all cases, 78.71% (318/404) were T1-T2, whereas 32.18% (130/404) were determined to have multiple lesions in the digestive tract wall. The positive rates of the WLE biopsy and AEJ biopsy of the involved gastric wall were 77.93% (293/376) and 89.38% (143/160), respectively. Twelve cases showed diffuse thickening of the gastric wall, and the total positive rate of EUS was 91.67% but 0% for WLE with this type of GIL. The total positive rate and positive rate during the first examination of EUS were all significantly higher than those of WLE. Moreover, 19.68% of the patients showed negative results during their WLE examination and then received a positive pathologic diagnosis upon EUS examination, but none had the opposite process.ConclusionsEUS was found to be a better tool for acquiring a pathological diagnosis of GIL than conventional WLE, especially for GIL similar to linitis plastica.     

内镜超声检查对胆囊癌的诊断价值

目的探讨内镜超声检查(EUS)对胆囊癌的诊断价值。方法对18例胆囊癌患者行EUS 检查并与体表B超(B超),X线电子计算机断层扫描(CT)/磁共振成像(MRI)结果进行比较。结果18例中EUS诊断17例,CT/MRI诊断15例,B超诊断5例。EUS诊断胆囊癌的敏感性与准确性高于B超,与CT/MRI相当。13例行手术治疗,与手术病理组织检查比较,EUS诊断正确率为92％,CT/MRI为76.9％,差异无显著性(P＞0.05)。B超为41.6％,差异有非常显著性(P＜0.01)。EUS对小病灶的显示明显优于B超,并优于CT/MRI。结论EUS对胆囊癌有较高的诊断价值。     

Benign gallbladder diseases: Imaging techniques and tips for differentiating with malignant gallbladder diseases

Benign gallbladder diseases usually present with intraluminal lesions and localized or diffuse wall thickening.Intraluminal lesions of the gallbladder include gallstones,cholesterol polyps,adenomas,or sludge and polypoid type of gallbladder cancer must subsequently be excluded.Polyp size,stalk width,and enhancement intensity on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and degree of diffusion restriction may help differentiate cholesterol polyps and adenomas from gallbladder cancer.Localized gallbladder wall thickening is largely due to segmental or focal gallbladder adenomyomatosis,although infiltrative cancer may present similarly.Identification of Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses is pivotal in diagnosing adenomyomatosis.The layered pattern,degree of enhancement,and integrity of the wall are imaging clues that help discriminate innocuous thickening from gallbladder cancer.High-resolution ultrasound is especially useful for analyzing the layering of gallbladder wall.A diffusely thickened wall is frequently seen in inflammatory processes of the gallbladder.Nevertheless,it is important to check for coexistent cancer in instances of acute cholecystitis.Ultrasound used alone is limited in evaluating complicated cholecystitis and often requires complementary computed tomography.In chronic cholecystitis,preservation of a two-layered wall and weak wall enhancement are diagnostic clues for excluding malignancy.Magnetic resonance imaging in conjunction with diffusion-weighted imaging helps to differentiate xathogranulomatous cholecystitis from gallbladder cancer by identifying the presence of fat and degree of diffusion restriction.Such distinctions require a familiarity with typical imaging features of various gallbladder diseases and an understanding of the roles that assorted imaging modalities play in gallbladder evaluations.     

超声内镜对胆胰疾病诊断价值的探讨

目的 探讨超声内镜（EUS）对胆胰疾病的诊断价值。方法 采用超声胃镜（频率为7．5MHz和20Mnz），应用水囊法结合水充盈法，对54例临床疑为胆胰病变的患者进行EUS检查，并与腹部B超、CT及ERCP比较。结果 EUS、US、CT、ERCP对胆胰疾病诊断的阳性率分别为92．6％（50/54）、57．4％（31／54）、64．8％（35／54）及76．2％（32／42）。EUS对胰腺癌诊断的阳性率达100％。高于腹部B超、CT及ERCP；EUS对胆总管结石及慢性胰腺炎的准确率分别为100％和88．9％。结论 EUS对胆胰疾病的诊断率高于腹部B超，CT及ERCP影像检查，尤其对胆管扩张病因的定位及定性诊断均有较大的诊断价值。     

内镜超声检查对食管平滑肌瘤的诊治价值

目的 探讨内镜超声检查(EUS)对食管平滑肌瘤的诊治价值.方法 分析研究经EUS诊断为食管平滑肌瘤患者的临床表现及血清学、常规胃镜、EUS等检查结果.将EUS的诊断结果与内镜或手术切除的组织病理诊断结果进行比较.治疗后随访2～36个月,平均14.3个月,以观察疾病复发情况.结果 EUS诊断食管平滑肌瘤191例.患者的临床表现、血清学检查、常规胃镜和螺旋CT对食管平滑肌瘤无特异性诊断作用.116例分别接受内镜(111例)或外科手术(5例)摘除治疗,101例术后组织病理确诊为食管平滑肌瘤,EUS对该病的诊断准确率为87%.随访75例未治疗者和116例治疗者,发现前者病灶无明显变化,后者术后无复发.结论 食管平滑肌瘤是一种良性肿瘤,EUS对该病的诊治具有较高的临床价值.     

Endoscopic ultrasonography does not differentiate neoplastic from non-neoplastic small gallbladder polyps

AIM： To assess the ability of endoscopic ultrasonography （EUS） to differentiate neoplastic from non- neoplastic polypoid lesions of the gallbladder （PLGs）.METHODS： The uses of EUS and transabdominal ultrasonography （US） were retrospectively analyzed in 94 surgical cases of gallbladder polyps less than 20 mm in diameter.RESULTS： The prevalence of neoplastic lesions with a diameter of 5-20 mm was 27.2% （10/58）; 22-15 mm, 25.4% （4/26）, and 16-20 mm, 50% （5/20）. The overall diagnostic accuracies of EUS and US for small PLGs were 80.9% and 63.9% （P 〈 0.05）, respectively. EUS correctly distinguished 12 （63.2%） of 19 neoplastic PLGs but was less accurate for polyps less than 1.0 cm （4/10, 40%） than for polyps greater than 1.0 cm （8/9, 88.9%） （P = 0.02）.CONCLUSION： Although EUS was more accurate than US, its accuracy for differentiating neoplastic from non-neoplastic PLGs less than 1.0 cm was low. Thus, EUS alone is not sufficient for determining a treatment strategy for PLGs of less than 1.0 cm.     

内镜超声检查术对胰腺肿瘤早期诊断的价值

目的探讨内镜超声检查术（EUS）、管内超声检查术（IDUS）及超声内镜引导下细针穿刺术（EUS-FNA）对胰腺肿瘤早期诊断的价值。方法回顾性分析和比较188例胰腺小占位病灶的EUS、IDUS、EUS—FNA及其他影像学检查结果。结果（1）EUS诊断小胰腺癌的准确率是95．6％（44／46）,优于B超58．6％（27／46）、CT77．4％（24／31）、MRI76．2％（16／21）及内镜逆行胰胆管造影术（ERCP）85．3％（29／34）。小胰腺癌EUS声像图主要表现为类圆形、边界清楚、边缘不规则的低回声肿块,内部回声多均匀。（2）25例胰腺小占位病灶行IDUS检查,其准确率是100．0％（25／25）,明显优于B超32．0％（8／25）、CT52．9％（9／17）及MRI57．9％（11／19）等检查。（3）18例胰腺小占位病灶行EUS—FNA,其准确率是66．7％（12／18）。（4）EUS诊断胰腺假性囊肿的准确率是100．0％（27／27）,明显优于13超52．0％（13／25）、CT66、7％（12／18）、MRI82．4％（14／17）及ERCP78．9％（15／19）;对胰腺囊性肿瘤分类鉴别诊断总的准确率是57．7％（15／26）,优于B超19．2％（5／26）、CT36．4％（8／22）、MRI37．5％（6／16）及ERCP50．0％（7／14）等检查。结论EUS、IDUS及EUS-FNA对胰腺肿瘤的早期诊断具有重要价值。     

Endoscopic ultrasonography in patients with elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 of obscure origin

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in patients with elevated carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels of obscure origin. METHODS: Patients who had visited Pusan National University Hospital because of elevated serum CA 19-9 levels, between January 2007 and December 2009, were retrospectively enrolled. EUS had been performed on all subjects, in addition to routine blood tests, endoscopy, abdominal computed tomography (CT) and other clinical exams, which had not revealed any abnormal findings suggestive of the origin of the elevated CA 19-9 levels. RESULTS: Of the 17 patients, gallbladder sludge was detected in 16 patients (94.1%) and common bile duct sludge was observed in 3 patients (17.6%). After the administration of ursodeoxycholic acid to 12 of the patients with gallbladder sludge, CA 19-9 levels normalized in 6 of the patients after a median of 4.5 mo. CONCLUSION: EUS is a useful diagnostic method for patients with elevated CA 19-9 levels of obscure origin, even if the reason for abnormal levels of this serum marker cannot be determined through prior examinations, including abdominal CT.     

Contrast-Enhanced Harmonic Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Differential Diagnosis of Gallbladder Wall Thickening

Background and Aims

Differentiation of gallbladder (GB) carcinoma from benign GB wall thickening is challenging. The recent introduction of second-generation ultrasonic contrast agents has made contrast harmonic imaging with EUS possible. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS) for the differential diagnosis of GB wall thickening.

Methods

Thirty-six consecutive patients with GB wall thickening imaged by CH-EUS and then underwent surgery were enrolled in this study. After the lesions were observed with conventional harmonic EUS (H-EUS), CH-EUS was performed with intravenous injection of 0.015 ml/kg of Sonazoid. Three reviewers with various levels of experience of EUS (Reviewer A: experienced endosonographer, B: EUS trainee, C: experienced gastroenterologist with expertise in transabdominal ultrasound but no EUS experience) were blinded to findings of recorded video of H-EUS and CH-EUS. The diagnostic accuracy of H-EUS and CH-EUS for malignant GB wall thickening was compared.

Results

Final diagnoses based on surgical histology were GB carcinoma in 16, cholecystitis in 11, adenomyomatosis in 6 and cholesterolosis in 3. Overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for diagnosing malignant GB wall thickening of H-EUS and CH-EUS were 83.3 versus 89.6, 65 versus 98 % (p < 0.001) and 73.1 versus 94.4 % (p < 0.001). The inter-observer agreement for H-EUS was moderate (κ = 0.51), whereas that for CH-EUS was substantial (κ = 0.77). The inhomogeneous enhanced pattern on CH-EUS was a strong predictive factor of malignant GB wall thickening.

Conclusion

CH-EUS has the potential to improve the preoperative diagnostic accuracy and inter-observer agreement in the differential diagnosis of GB wall thickening.     

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of true gallbladder polyps: the contradiction in the literature

Polypoid lesions of the gallbladder (PLGs) are often incidentally identified during ultrasonographic examination of abdominal pain. The present study was designed to determine the reliability of ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of PLGs. The records of 853 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for PLGs in Gazi Medical School from January 2000 to January 2004 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding the patients' gender, age, symptoms, serum lipid levels, the size and the number of polyps on US, surgical indications for PLGs and histopathological diagnosis. In all, 56 of 853 patients had PLGs and underwent LC. Right upper quadrant pain (59%) was the most common presenting symptom that led to gallbladder US. Nearly 75% of the lesions were smaller than 10 mm. At histopathologic examination cholesterolosis was found in 17 of 56 (30%) patients, and 12 of 56 (21%) demonstrated only cholelithiasis; 17 (30%) patients had both cholesterolosis and stones. Only 10 (18%) patients had adenomatous polyp and 8 of these polyps were larger than 1 cm. Overall US-based diagnosis of gallbladder polyp was inaccurate in 82%. The sensitivity and specificity of US for polyps <1 cm was 20% and 95.1%, respectively, whereas the sensitivity and specificity of US for polyps >1 cm was 80% and 99.3%, respectively. The accuracy of US in diagnosing PLGs was poor, especially in polyps <1 cm.     

Observation of gastric variceal flow characteristics by endoscopic ultrasonography using color Doppler

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) findings of gastric varices and to determine the role of ECDUS in the diagnosis of gastric varices. METHODS: Using ECDUS, we evaluated 114 patients with gastric varices found consecutively by routine upper endoscopy. We monitored the color flow images of gastric varices and perigastric collateral veins. We measured the blood flow velocity of gastric varices and the thickness of the gastric wall to submucosal gastric varices with this technique, and investigated the usefulness of ECDUS in evaluating the hemodynamics of gastric varices. Endoscopic findings of gastric varices were evaluated according to the grading system of the Japanese Research Committee on Portal Hypertension. RESULTS: Color flow images of gastric varices and perigastric veins were delineated in all 114 patients with ECDUS. Evaluation of blood flow velocity in the 114 gastric varices revealed velocities of 7.7-35.7 cm/s (mean 18.2 +/- 5.9 cm/s). The velocities (23.7 +/- 6.4 cm/s, N = 21) of large, coil-shaped (F3)-type gastric varices were significantly higher than those (16.7 +/- 4.9 cm/s, N = 93) of enlarged tortuous (F2)-type varices (P < 0.0001). The 114 gastric varices were at 1.0-2.2 mm (1.6 +/- 0.3 mm) of gastric wall thickness. The thickness (1.2 +/- 0.1 mm, N = 22) for red color sign (RC)- or erosion-positive varices was significantly less than that (1.7 +/- 0.2 mm, N = 92) for the negative cases (P < 0.0001). The mean velocity was 28.0 +/- 6.1 cm/s in bleeding cases (N = 4) and 17.6 +/- 5.5 cm/s in nonbleeding cases (N = 110), and the velocities of the bleeding cases were significantly higher than those of the nonbleeding cases (P < 0.001). The mean thickness of the gastric wall was 1.2 +/- 0.2 mm for bleeding cases and 1.6 +/- 0.3 mm for nonbleeding cases, and the mean wall thickness in the bleeding cases was significantly less than in the nonbleeding cases (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ECDUS is a useful modality for diagnosis of the hemodynamics of gastric varices and may allow the prediction of a high risk for hemorrhage.