【Medical Q&A】What is endoscopic ultrasound?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Wang Yandong, Chief Physician, Tianjin University Central Hospital

Ultrasound endoscopy is actually a combination of ultrasound technology and endoscopic technology, and is particularly suitable for examination of the digestive system and adjacent organs (such as pancreas, bile duct, etc.).

During an endoscopic ultrasound examination, the examiner will insert a thin endoscope (similar to a conventional gastroscope or colonoscope) into the digestive tract through the mouth or anus. The tip of the endoscope will be equipped with a small ultrasound probe that can directly perform ultrasound scans on organs or tissues inside the digestive tract. Compared with traditional abdominal ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound can help doctors obtain higher-definition images and better observe subtle changes in small lesions. In addition, because the ultrasound probe can directly reach the inner wall of the digestive tract, it avoids the interference of factors such as intestinal gas on ultrasound, making the examination of deep organs such as the pancreas more reliable. Endoscopic ultrasound is particularly suitable for the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases (such as early pancreatic cancer, etc.), hepatobiliary diseases (such as bile duct stones, etc.), and digestive tract tumor staging (such as tumors in the stomach, rectum, etc., which can help determine the degree of tumor invasion and whether there is lymph node metastasis). Endoscopic ultrasound requires the endoscope to be inserted into the body of the person being examined, so it may cause discomfort or related complications. In addition, this technology requires a high level of operator skills and requires experienced examiners to operate to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the examination.