The field of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has evolved significantly over the last two
decades from being a tool of only diagnostic purpose to tissue acquisition and now
therapeutic potential. There have been several important publications in the field
of EUS in the last few years, which had a major impact in the clinical management
of various gastrointestinal disorders. In this review, we discuss four such articles
that in our opinion will significantly impact the role of EUS in treating various
conditions. The first article is a randomized controlled trial comparing EUS-guided
gall bladder drainage with percutaneous gall bladder drainage for high-risk acute
cholecystitis. The second article is a randomized controlled trial comparing EUS versus
minimally invasive surgery for necrotizing pancreatitis. The third article is a novel
human study of EUS-guided portal pressure measurement in patients with portal hypertension.
The last article is also a randomized controlled trial evaluating the role of rapid
on-site evaluation for EUS-guided fine needle biopsy in solid pancreatic lesions.
Keywords
endoscopic ultrasound - gall bladder drainage - acute necrotizing pancreatitis - lumen-apposing
metal stent - portal hypertension - solid pancreatic lesion
