Usefulness of Endoscopic Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Gastric Varices

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate Endoscopic Ultrasonography with Color Doppler (ECDUS) findings of gastric varices and to determine the role of ECDUS in the diagnosis of gastric varices. Methods: Two hundred-fifteen patients with gastric varices found consecutively by routine upper endoscopy were evaluated with ECDUS. We monitored the color flow images of gastric varices, para-gastric collateral veins. We measured the blood flow velocity of gastric varices and the wall thickness to submucosal gastric varices with this technique, and investigated the usefulness of ECDUS on evaluating the hemodynamics of gastric varices. Endoscopic findings of gastric varices were evaluated according to the grading system outlined in The General Rules for Recording Endoscopic Findings of Esophago-gastric Varices devised by the Japanese Research Committee on Portal Hypertension. Takahiro Sato1* 1Department of Gastroenterology, Sapporo Kosei General Hospital, Sapporo, Japan *Corresponding author: Takahiro Sato, Department of Gastroenterology, Sapporo Kosei General Hospital, Kita 3 Higashi 8, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0033, Japan, Tel: +81 11 261 5331; Fax: +81 11 261 6040; Email: [email protected] Published Date: September 25, 2016 Gr up SM