Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has progressed beyond diagnostic imaging to include EUS-guided tissue acquisition and EUS-directed therapies. This review provides an update on EUS-guided drainage and anastomotic procedures, and other therapeutic procedures. Today, EUS-guided drainage of symptomatic walled-off pancreatic fluid collections is the norm, with endoscopic necrosectomy as an adjunct. For high-risk surgical patients unsuitable for cholecystectomy, EUS-guided gallbladder drainage of acute cholecystitis is an option. Additionally, EUS-guided drainage of obstructed biliary and pancreatic ductal system can be performed as salvage procedures after unsuccessful endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Bariatric procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass alter the gastric anatomy, hindering access to the major papilla. This can be overcome by creating a conduit through the excluded stomach using EUS-directed transgastric ERCP. Gastric outlet obstruction and afferent loop syndrome can be treated using EUS-guided gastrojejunostomy. These therapeutic interventions are a major advancement in the field of interventional EUS, achieving significant clinical impact.
Humans ; Endosonography/methods* ; Drainage/methods* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde/methods* ; Ultrasonography, Interventional/methods* ; Anastomosis, Surgical/methods*

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, the incidence and detection rate of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) have increased significantly. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) plays an indispensable role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PCLs. However, evidence comparing the diagnostic performance of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and fine-needle biopsy (FNB) remains limited. This study aims to compare the diagnostic yield, adequacy of tissue acquisition, and safety between EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB in evaluating PCLs to inform clinical practice. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with PCLs who underwent either EUS-FNA or EUS-FNB between January 2014 and August 2021. The diagnostic yield, tissue acquisition adequacy, and incidence of adverse events were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: A total of 90 patients with PCLs were included (52 in the FNA group and 38 in the FNB group). The diagnostic yield was similar between the FNA and FNB groups (94.2% vs 94.7%, P>0.05). The adequacy of tissue acquisition was 71.2% in the FNA group and 81.6% in the FNB group (P>0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the incidence of adverse events between the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Both EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB demonstrate equally high diagnostic yields and tissue adequacy in PCLs, with excellent safety profiles. Both methods are safe and effective diagnostic tools for evaluating PCLs.
Humans ; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Pancreatic Cyst/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Adult ; Endosonography/methods* ; Pancreas/pathology* ; Diagnosis, Differential

Objective: To analyze the risk factors for complications of endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) of upper gastrointestinal submucosal tumors (SMTs). Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. The indications for EFTR included: (1) SMTs originating from the muscularis propria layer and growing out of the cavity or infiltrating the deep part of the muscularis propria layer; (2) SMTs diameter <5 cm; and (3) tumor identified as closely adherent to the serous layer during endoscopic submucosal dissection or endoscopic mucosal resection. This study included patients with SMTs originating from the muscularis propria layer in upper digestive tract, diagnosed preoperatively by endoscopic ultrasonography or computed tomography, who were successfully treated with EFTR. Those with incomplete clinical data were excluded. The clinical data of 154 patients with upper gastrointestinal SMTs who underwent EFTR at the Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2016 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Post-EFTR complications (such as delayed perforation, delayed bleeding, and postoperative infection, including electrocoagulation syndrome) were monitored and the risk factors for them were analyzed. Results: Among the 154 study patients, 33 (21.4%) developed complications, including delayed bleeding in three (1.9%), delayed perforation in two (1.3%), and postoperative infection in 28 (18.2%). One patient with bleeding was classified as having a major complication (hospitalized for more than 10 days because of complication). According to univariate analysis, complication was associated with tumor diameter >15 mm, operation time >90 minutes, defect closure method(purse string suture), and diameter of resected specimen ≥20 mm (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that operation time >90 minutes (OR=6.252, 95%CI: 2.530-15.446, P<0.001) and tumor diameter >15 mm (OR=4.843, 95%CI: 1.985-11.817, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for complications after EFTR in patients with upper gastrointestinal SMTs. The independent risk factors for postoperative infection in these patients were operation time>90 minutes (OR=4.993, 95%CI:1.964-12.694, P=0.001) and purse string suture (OR=7.142, 95%CI: 1.953-26.123, P=0.003). Conclusion: Patients with upper gastrointestinal SMTs undergoing EFTR with tumor diameter >15 mm or operation time >90 minutes have a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications. Postoperative monitoring is important for these patients with SMTs.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery* ; Endoscopic Mucosal Resection/methods* ; Gastroscopy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Endosonography/adverse effects* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Treatment Outcome ; Gastric Mucosa/surgery*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Differentiating extraluminal compressions from true subepithelial tumors in the duodenum by endoscopy alone is difficult. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is one of the most useful diagnostic modalities for this purpose. Extraluminal compression in the duodenum is occasionally observed, but its clinical significance has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of extraluminal compression in the duodenum according to lesion location. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 22 patients diagnosed as having extraluminal compression in the duodenum based on EUS findings between January 2006 and December 2017. Some patients underwent abdominal computed tomography for accurate diagnosis. RESULTS: The location of the extraluminal compression was the duodenal bulb in 10 cases, the superior duodenal angle in 10 cases, and the second portion of the duodenum in 2 cases. Of the 22 cases, 12 were caused by normal structures, including vessels, the right kidney, the gallbladder, and the pancreas, and 10 were caused by pathological lesions, including the hepatic cyst, remnant cystic duct and dilated common bile duct after cholecystectomy; gallstones, gallbladder polyps, remnant cystic duct cancer, and pseudomyxoma peritoneii. The anterior wall of the duodenum was the most frequent location of extraluminal compression. However, the lesions in the anterior wall of the duodenal bulb and superior duodenal angle showed a high frequency of pathologic lesions, including malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: If the extraluminal compression is found in the anterior wall of the duodenum, EUS is needed because of the high frequency of pathological lesions.
Cholecystectomy ; Common Bile Duct ; Cystic Duct ; Diagnosis ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Humans ; Kidney ; Pancreas ; Polyps ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in patients with isolated elevated levels of amylase and/or lipase. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a large academic medical center from 2000 to 2016. Patients were selected based on having elevated amylase, lipase, or both, but without a diagnosis of pancreatitis or known pancreatobiliary disease. Patients were excluded if they had abnormal liver function tests or abnormal imaging of the pancreas. RESULTS: Of 299 EUS procedures performed, 38 met inclusion criteria. Symptoms were present in 31 patients, most frequently abdominal pain (87%). In 20 patients (53%), initial EUS most commonly found chronic pancreatitis (n=7; 18%), sludge (5; 13%), or new diagnosis of pancreas divisum (3; 8%). In the asymptomatic patients (7), 3 had a finding on EUS, most importantly sludge (2), stone (1), and pancreas divisum (1). No patients were diagnosed with a mass or pancreatic cyst. During the follow up period, 6 patients (22%) had cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: In our study of patients with isolated elevations in amylase and/or lipase without acute pancreatitis who underwent EUS, approximately 50% had a pancreatobiliary finding, most commonly chronic pancreatitis or biliary sludge.
Abdominal Pain ; Academic Medical Centers ; Amylases ; Bile ; Cholecystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Endosonography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lipase ; Liver Function Tests ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Cyst ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Sewage ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to identify the predictive factors for inaccurate endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) diagnosis of swollen lymph nodes without rapid on-site cytopathological evaluation. METHODS: Eighty-three consecutive patients who underwent EUS-FNA for abdominal or mediastinal lymph nodes from January 2008 to June 2017 were included from a prospectively maintained EUS-FNA database and retrospectively reviewed. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS-FNA for the detection of neoplastic diseases were calculated. Candidate factors for inaccurate diagnosis (lymph node size and location, needle type, puncture route, number of passes, and causative disease) were evaluated by comparison between accurately diagnosed cases and others. RESULTS: The final diagnosis of the punctured lymph node was classified as neoplastic (65 cases: a metastatic lymph node, malignant lymphoma, or Crow-Fukase syndrome) or non-neoplastic (18 cases: a reactive node or amyloidosis). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 83%, 94%, and 86%, respectively. On multivariate analyses, small size of the lymph node was the sole predictive factor for inaccurate EUS-FNA diagnosis with a significant difference (odds ratios, 19.8; 95% confidence intervals, 3.15–124; p=0.0015). CONCLUSIONS: The lymph node size of <16 mm was the only independent factor associated with inaccurate EUS-FNA diagnosis of swollen lymph nodes.
Diagnosis ; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration ; Endosonography ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma ; Multivariate Analysis ; Needles ; Prospective Studies ; Punctures ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Small cell carcinomas are the most aggressive, highly malignant neuroendocrine tumors; among these, gastric small cell carcinoma (GSCC) is extremely rare. Here we report a case of a patient with primary GSCC, presenting as linitis plastic, who was diagnosed using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsy. With undiagnosed linitis plastica, an 80-year-old woman was referred to our institution. Abdominal computed tomography revealed irregular wall thickening extending from the gastric body to the antrum. Endoscopy suspected to have Borrmann type IV advanced gastric cancer. EUS of the stomach showed diffuse submucosal thickening of the gastric wall, mainly the antrum. EUS-guided bite-on-bite biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of GSCC. In general, GSCC is difficult to diagnose and careful examination is necessary to determine the therapeutic strategy; however, EUS is particularly helpful in the differential diagnosis of a lesion presenting as linitis plastica.
Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Female ; Humans ; Linitis Plastica ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; Plastics ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

Endoscopic transpapillary biliary drainage is the current standard of care for unresectable hilar malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) and bilateral metal stent placement is shown to have longer patency. However, technical and clinical failure is possible and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is sometimes necessary. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is increasingly being reported as an alternative rescue procedure to PTBD. EUS-BD has a potential advantage of not traversing the biliary stricture and internal drainage can be completed in a single session. Some approaches to bilateral biliary drainage for hilar MBO under EUS-guidance include a bridging method, hepaticoduodenostomy, and a combination of EUS-BD and transpapillary biliary drainage. The aim of this review is to summarize data on EUS-BD for hilar MBO and to clarify its advantages over the conventional approaches such as endoscopic transpapillary biliary drainage and PTBD.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Drainage ; Endosonography ; Methods ; Standard of Care ; Stents

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided transmural drainage for peripancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) has gained wide acceptance as a nonsurgical intervention. Although a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) was recently introduced, there are few data comparing the clinical outcomes between LAMS and plastic stent (PS) drainage. METHODS: Endoscopy databases of all patients who had undergone EUS-guided drainage for PFCs were searched and the clinical outcomes of EUS-guided drainage according to stent-type used were compared. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients (median age, 56 years) with PFCs underwent EUS-guided transmural drainage between January 2011 and December 2017. Of these, 17 underwent PS placement and 10 underwent LAMS placement. There was no significant difference in the technical success rate between the 2 groups (94.1% vs. 100%, p=1.0). Procedure time was shorter in the LAMS group compared to that in the PS group (10.6±2.5 min vs. 21.4±9.5 min, p=0.002). Among subjects with clinical success, recurrence of PFC after stent removal occurred in 5 of 12 patients with PS and 4 of 10 with LAMS, without statistical difference (41.7% vs. 40.0%, p=1.0). CONCLUSIONS: Although our study showed similar clinical outcomes for LAMS and PS, further prospective trials are required to validate the superiority of LAMS.
Drainage ; Endoscopy ; Endosonography ; Humans ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Plastics ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Stents ; Ultrasonography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To compare the performance of latest commercially available endoscopic ultrasound biopsy needles. METHODS: Six latest commercially available needles were tested on a freshly harvested bovine liver; the tested needles included three 19 G, one 20 G, and two 22 G needles. Five biopsies were performed per needle with 10 mL of wet suction. The primary outcome was the number of complete portal tracts (CPTs) per needle aspirate. The secondary outcomes were the mean specimen length and mean fragment length. Analysis of variance and Tukey’s test were applied. RESULTS: All 19 G needles and the 20 G needle yielded similar mean CPTs and were superior to the SharkCore 22 G needle (p<0.001 adjusted for multiplicity). There was no statistically significant difference in total specimen length among the three 19 G needles and the 20 G needle tested. The two 22 G needles performed similarly with respect to the number of CPTs, mean fragment length, and mean specimen length (adjusted p=0.07, p=0.59, and p=0.10, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The specimen adequacy was similar among the 3 latest commercially available 19 G needles. The endoscopist may choose a larger-bore needle based on availability without concerns of specimen adequacy. Further studies are needed to assess the ease of needle use in various anatomical locations and to confirm the optimal needle design.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Endosonography ; Liver ; Needles ; Suction ; Ultrasonography