Development and use of linear-array echoendoscope and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) have made endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) more of an interventional procedure than a purely diagnostic procedure. This is a literature review of previously published clinical studies on EUS-guided direct intervention for solid pancreatic tumors, including EUS-guided fine needle inject...

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography had been a treatment modality of choice for both benign and malignant biliary tract obstruction for more than half century, with a very high clinical success rate and low complications. But in certain circumstances, such as advanced and locally advanced pancreatobiliary malignancies (pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, ampullary tumor) and tight...

Schistosomiasis is a trematode infection endemic in more than 70 countries that affects an estimated 250 million people. We report the case of a 60-year-old healthy female referred for endoscopic ultrasound after rectal examination revealed granular lesions. Ultrasound revealed the presence of deep mucosal nodular lesions with calcified/hyperechoic inclusions. Histologic evaluation has confirme...

Mediastinoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows visualization and tissue sampling of mediastinal nodes. Mediastinoscopy has been extremely valuable in the evaluation and staging of lung cancer and therefore has been considered the gold standard for this purpose for over 30 years. Historically, this procedure has been associated with a low morbidity and mortality and a hig...

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) technology has evolved dramatically over the past 20 years, from being a supplementary diagnostic aid available only in large medical centers to being a core diagnostic and therapeutic tool that is widely available. Although formal recommendations and practice guidelines have not been developed, there are considerable data supporting the use of EUS for its technical ...

Compared to other imaging modalities, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has limitations in terms of image enhancement. However, with the availability of contrast agents in ultrasonography, EUS has evolved. Contrast-enhanced Doppler EUS (CD-EUS) enhances Doppler signals from vessels and is useful for characterizing lesions detected by EUS. Moreover, contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS) with second-...

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography is an imaging procedure used for the visualization of tissue elasticity during usual EUS examinations. EUS elastography can be accomplished real-time with state-of-the-art ultrasound systems, with the images being represented in transparent color superimposed on the conventional gray-scale B-mode scans. The aim of this review was to introduce the potenti...

From this experience, we conclude that transbronchial biomechanical analysis can be performed during bronchial endoscopic ultrasound. Tracheobronchial cartilage does not appear to interfere with collection of this type of information. The preliminary results suggest that elastography could possibly improve the diagnostic yield of bronchial endoscopic ultrasound, as has already been demonstrated...

CONTEXT Gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the pancreas are very rare. Only two case reports have been published, both with diagnoses made on surgical pathology. We present the first case of pancreatic stromal tumor diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration. CASE REPORT A 47-year-old male presented with self limited nausea and vomiting. A CT scan revealed a subtle, hype...

BACKGROUND Celiac ganglia (CG) can be seen by endoscopic ultrasound; they play an important role in pain management and are a potential site for extrapancreatic tumor neural invasion. AIMS To evaluate the frequency of CG visualization during endoscopic ultrasound examination and to evaluate the feasibility of this technique to identify extrapancreatic tumor neural invasion in patients with pa...