Endoscopic Ultrasonography

This paper covers the literature published between June 2003 and August 2004 on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA). During this period, more than 120 original studies were published on the topic, not to mention editorials and case reports - indirect evidence of the ever-increasing importance of EUS in everyday clinical practice. However, due to limitations of space, this review will focus only on a few articles selected for their importance and originality. The studies presented deal either with the outcome of EUS - i. e., its real importance in affecting the choices physicians are faced with in their clinical work - or definitively clarify certain technical issues that have often been a matter of debate at EUS meetings. Finally, a few papers describing new potential diagnostic or interventional applications of EUS are presented. Many other relevant papers in addition to those discussed in detail are cited in the references.

References

• 1 Sahai A V, Siess M, Kapfer B. et al . Endoscopic ultrasonography for upper gastrointestinal submucosal lesions: a cost minimization analysis with an international perspective.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;  98 1989-1995
• 2 Vander Noot M R 3rd, Eloubeidi M A, Chen V K. et al . Diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract lesions by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.  Cancer. 2004;  102 157-163
• 3 Kinoshita K, Isozaki K, Tsutsui S. et al . Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in follow-up patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours.  Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2003;  15 1189-1193
• 4 Vazquez-Sequeiros E, Wiersema M J, Clain J E. et al . Impact of lymph node staging on therapy of esophageal carcinoma.  Gastroenterology. 2003;  125 1883-1886
• 5 Harewood G C, Kumar K S. Assessment of clinical impact of endoscopic ultrasound on esophageal cancer.  J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2004;  19 433-439
• 6 Chang K J, Soetikno R M, Bastas D. et al . Impact of endoscopic ultrasound combined with fine-needle aspiration biopsy in the management of esophageal cancer.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 962-966
• 7 Agarwal B, Swisher S, Ajani J. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound after preoperative chemoradiation can help identify patients who benefit maximally after surgical esophageal resection.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 1258-1266
• 8 Wallace M B, Ravenel J, Block M I. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound in lung cancer patients with a normal mediastinum on computed tomography.  Ann Thorac Surg. 2004;  77 1763-1768
• 9 Varadarajulu S, Schmulewitz N, Wildi S F. et al . Accuracy of EUS in staging of T4 lung cancer.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 345-348
• 10 Chen V K, Eloubeidi M A. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is superior to lymph node echofeatures: a prospective evaluation of mediastinal and peri-intestinal lymphadenopathy.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 628-633
• 11 Varadarajulu S, Hoffman B J, Hawes R H. et al . EUS-guided FNA of lung masses adjacent to or abutting the esophagus after unrevealing CT-guided biopsy or bronchoscopy.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  60 293-297
• 12 Hernandez L V, Mishra G, George S. et al . A descriptive analysis of EUS-FNA for mediastinal lymphadenopathy: an emphasis on clinical impact and false negative results.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 249-254
• 13 Schmulewitz N, Wildi S M, Varadarajulu S. et al . Accuracy of EUS criteria and primary tumor site for identification of mediastinal lymph node metastasis from non-small-cell lung cancer.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 205-212
• 14 Wallace M B, Block M, Hoffman B J. et al . Detection of telomerase expression in mediastinal lymph nodes of patients with lung cancer.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003;  167 1670-1675
• 15 Pellise M, Castells A, Gines A. et al . Detection of lymph node micrometastases by gene promoter hypermethylation in samples obtained by endosonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.  Clin Cancer Res. 2004;  10 4444-4449
• 16 Wildi S M, Hoda R S, Fickling W. et al . Diagnosis of benign cysts of the mediastinum: the role and risks of EUS and FNA.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 362-368
• 17 Harewood G C. Assessment of clinical impact of endoscopic ultrasound on rectal cancer.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 623-627
• 18 Vanagunas A, Lin D E, Stryker S J. Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound for restaging rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 109-112
• 19 Fritscher-Ravens A, Broering D C, Knoefel W T. et al . EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration of suspected hilar cholangiocarcinoma in potentially operable patients with negative brush cytology.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 45-51
• 20 Lee J H, Salem R, Aslanian H. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration of unexplained bile duct strictures.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 1069-1073
• 21 Byrne M F, Gerke H, Mitchell R M. et al . Yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of bile duct lesions.  Endoscopy. 2004;  36 715-719
• 22 Ainsworth A P, Rafaelsen S R, Wamberg P A. et al . Is there a difference in diagnostic accuracy and clinical impact between endoscopic ultrasonography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography?.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 1029-1032
• 23 Seifert H, Wehrmann T, Hilgers R. et al . Catheter probe extraductal EUS reliably detects distal common bile duct abnormalities.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  60 61-67
• 24 Meroni E, Bisagni P, Bona S. et al . Pre-operative endoscopic ultrasonography can optimise the management of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with abnormal liver function tests as the sole risk factor for choledocholithiasis: a prospective study.  Dig Liver Dis. 2004;  36 73-77
• 25 Soriano A, Castells A, Ayuso C. et al . Preoperative staging and tumor resectability assessment of pancreatic cancer: prospective study comparing endoscopic ultrasonography, helical computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 492-501
• 26 Catanzaro A, Richardson S, Veloso H. et al . Long-term follow-up of patients with clinically indeterminate suspicion of pancreatic cancer and normal EUS.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 836-840
• 27 Bhutani M S, Gress F G, Giovannini M. et al . The No Endosonographic Detection of Tumor (NEST) Study: a case series of pancreatic cancers missed on endoscopic ultrasonography.  Endoscopy. 2004;  36 385-389
• 28 Micames C, Jowell P S, White R. et al . Lower frequency of peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with pancreatic cancer diagnosed by EUS-guided FNA vs. percutaneous FNA.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 690-695
• 29 Agarwal B, Abu-Hamda E, Molke K L. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and multidetector spiral CT in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 844-850
• 30 Wamsteker E J, Gauger P G, Thompson N W. et al . EUS detection of pancreatic endocrine tumors in asymptomatic patients with type 1 multiple endocrine neoplasia.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 531-535
• 31 Mertz H, Gautam S. The learning curve for EUS-guided FNA of pancreatic cancer.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 33-37
• 32 Eloubeidi M A, Chen V K, Eltoum I A. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of patients with suspected pancreatic cancer: diagnostic accuracy and acute and 30-day complications.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;  98 2663-2638
• 33 Ahmad N A, Kochman M L, Brensinger C. et al . Interobserver agreement among endosonographers for the diagnosis of neoplastic versus non-neoplastic pancreatic cystic lesions.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 59-64
• 34 Brugge W R, Lewandrowski K, Lee-Lewandrowski E. et al . Diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms: a report of the cooperative pancreatic cyst study.  Gastroenterology. 2004;  126 1330-1366
• 35 Song M H, Lee S K, Kim M H. et al . EUS in the evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  57 891-896
• 36 O’Toole D, Palazzo L, Hammel P. et al . Macrocystic pancreatic cystadenoma: the role of EUS and cyst fluid analysis in distinguishing mucinous and serous lesions.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 823-829
• 37 Maire F, Couvelard A, Hammel P. et al . Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas: the preoperative value of cytologic and histopathologic diagnosis.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  58 701-706
• 38 LeBlanc J K, Ciaccia D, Al-Assi M T. et al . Optimal number of EUS-guided fine needle passes needed to obtain a correct diagnosis.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 475-481
• 39 Klapman J B, Logrono R, Dye C E. et al . Clinical impact of on-site cytopathology interpretation on endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;  98 1289-1294
• 40 Larghi A, Verna E C, Stavropoulos S N. et al . EUS-guided Tru-Cut needle biopsies in patients with solid pancreatic masses: a prospective study.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 185-190
• 41 Varadarajulu S, Fraig M, Schmulewitz N. et al . Comparison of EUS-guided 19-gauge Tru-Cut needle biopsy with EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration.  Endoscopy. 2004;  36 397-401
• 42 Ishikawa H, Hirooka Y, Itoh A. et al . A comparison of image quality between tissue harmonic imaging and fundamental imaging with an electronic radial scanning echoendoscope in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2003;  57 931-936
• 43 Prasad P, Schmulewitz N, Patel A. et al . Detection of occult liver metastases during EUS for staging of malignancies.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 49-53
• 44 DeWitt J, LeBlanc J, McHenry L. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology of solid liver lesions: a large single-center experience.  Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;  98 1976-1981
• 45 Hollerbach S, Willert J, Topalidis T. et al . Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of liver lesions: histological and cytological assessment.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 743-749
• 46 Wildi S M, Fickling W E, Day T A. et al . Endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis and staging of neoplasms of the head and neck.  Endoscopy. 2004;  36 624-630
• 47 Eloubeidi M A, Seewald S, Tamhane A. et al . EUS-guided FNA of the left adrenal gland in patients with thoracic or GI malignancies.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 627-633
• 48 Eloubeidi M A, Iseman D T, Chen V K. et al . Prevalence and significance of periduodenal venous collaterals in patients evaluated for pancreaticobiliary disorders by endosonography.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 1015-1019
• 49 Lai L, Brugge W R. Endoscopic ultrasound is a sensitive and specific test to diagnose portal venous system thrombosis (PVST).  Am J Gastroenterol. 2004;  99 40-44
• 50 Lai R, Freeman M L, Cass O W. et al . Accurate diagnosis of pancreas divisum by linear-array endoscopic ultrasonography.  Endoscopy. 2004;  36 705-709
• 51 Giovannini M, Dotti M, Bories E. et al . Hepaticogastrostomy by echo-endoscopy as a palliative treatment in a patient with metastatic biliary obstruction.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 1076-1078
• 52 Giovannini M, Bories E, Moutardier V. et al . Drainage of deep pelvic abscesses using therapeutic echo endoscopy.  Endoscopy. 2003;  35 511-514
• 53 Mallery S, Matlock J, Freeman M L. EUS-guided rendezvous drainage of obstructed biliary and pancreatic ducts: Report of 6 cases.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 100-107
• 54 Kahaleh M, Yoshida C, Kane L. et al . Interventional EUS cholangiography: a report of five cases.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  60 138-142
• 55 Parasher V K, Hernandez L V, Leveen R F. et al . Lymph sampling and lymphangiography via EUS-guided transesophageal thoracic duct puncture in a swine model.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 564-567
• 56 Chan H H, Nishioka N S, Mino M. et al . EUS-guided photodynamic therapy of the pancreas: a pilot study.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 95-99
• 57 Fritscher-Ravens A, Mosse C A, Mukherjee D. et al . Transgastric gastropexy and hiatal hernia repair for GERD under EUS control: a porcine model.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2004;  59 89-95