Ultrasound endoscopy is a comprehensive technique combining endoscopy and ultrasound, in which an ultrasound probe is placed at the front end of the endoscope (gastroscope, colonoscope) or a miniature ultrasound probe is introduced through the endoscope, and ultrasound scanning of the wall of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, colon) or adjacent organs (pancreas, bile duct, gallbladder, liver, etc.) is performed through the body cavity under the direct view of the endoscope.
Ultrasound endoscopy can not be used as a general endoscope because of its complex structure and long and thick front end rigid part, which is not easy to be reversed for observation and has a blind area, so it should generally be performed on the basis of general endoscopy when necessary.
I. Why ultrasound endoscopy?
Ultrasound endoscopy has a wide range of indications. Any lesion or suspected lesion in the digestive tract itself or adjacent organs that cannot be clearly diagnosed by ordinary endoscopy and body surface ultrasound can be examined by ultrasound endoscopy.
Its examination indications.
1.judgment of the origin, size and nature of submucosal lesions in the GI tract, and differentiation from extra-mural organs and vascular compression.
2.Staging of GI tumors (depth of tumor infiltration, presence of surrounding lymph nodes and adjacent organs metastasis) and resectability.
3.Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of adjacent organs of GI tract (bile duct stone, bile duct cancer, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis and pancreatic cyst, etc.).
2. Is the preparation before ultrasonic endoscopy the same as that of general gastroscopy and colonoscopy?
The preparation before ultrasound endoscopy is exactly the same as the preparation before general gastroscopy and colonoscopy.
Ultrasound endoscopy is a combination of ultrasound probe and endoscopic technology. When the endoscope is sent into the digestive tract, it can not only directly observe the mucosal surface lesions through the endoscope, but also perform real-time ultrasound scanning to observe the ultrasound images of the various layers of tissue structures in the wall of the digestive tract and its adjacent organs, further improving the diagnostic level of endoscopy and ultrasound.
Third, ultrasound endoscopy indications.
1.Malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract (such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, colon, rectum).
TNM staging is performed, but it has limited effect on M staging to assess surgical resectability, prognosis and guide the choice of treatment plan.
2. Submucosal tumors (e.g., smooth muscle tumors, etc.).
To determine whether it is an extra-ductal wall lesion, organ compression or ductal wall lesion itself; to determine the exact origin, nature and extent of the lesion; and to guide the selection of treatment plan.
3, pancreatic biliary lesions.
It is a better auxiliary diagnosis and differential diagnosis method for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, and can better reflect the changes in the pancreatic parenchymal structure, and fine needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic occupancy.
4. It can show some mediastinal lesions.
Contraindications to ultrasound endoscopy.
Contraindications to ultrasound endoscopy of the digestive system are basically the same as those for general gastroscopy.