The Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine - Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Volume 73 Number 4 July 2006	back to contents

Grand Rounds Endoscopic Ultrasound: Indications and Applications	702-707
Sharmila Anandasabapathy, M.D.

Address all correspondence to Sharmila Anandasabapathy, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030; e-mail: sananda@mdanderson.org.

Formerly Assistant Professor and Director, Endoscopic Ultrasound Unit, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY.

Adapted from a Grand Rounds presentation to the Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY on May 10, 2005, and updated as of August 2005.

Abstract

Since its development in the 1980s, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has dramatically expanded the breadth of gastrointestinal endoscopy and the approach to gastrointestinal and non-small-cell lung cancer staging. Combining an ultrasound transducer with a standard video endoscope, EUS produces detailed images of the gastrointestinal wall and structures surrounding the gastrointestinal tract. It is a safe and accurate method of diagnosing and staging a variety of benign and malignant lesions. Additionally, EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration can be performed on areas surrounding the gastrointestinal tract, including adjacent organs (pancreas, liver, etc.) and the mediastinum. The development of large channel scopes and new needles has led to numerous therapeutic applications for EUS, such as EUS-guided pseudocyst drainage. While the potential applications are many, availability of the technology continues to be a problem worldwide.

Key Words

Endoscopic ultrasound, esophageal cancer, Barrett's esophagus, lung cancer, pancreatic neoplasm, gastrointestinal endoscopy.

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