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A New Assessment of Esophageal Varices by Endoscopic Ultrasonography Using a 15/20‐Megahertz Ultrasonic Probe
Author(s) -
NISHIZONO Masatoshi,
SAKATA Junichiro,
OHASHI Tsuyoshi,
HARAGUCHI Yasuaki,
ETO Tanenao,
KAMIKAWA Hideki,
BEKKI Fumitoshi,
NAGASAKI Yoshikazu,
KOGA Nobuhiko,
KOGA Toshihiko,
YAMASHITA Yuichi
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
digestive endoscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.5
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1443-1661
pISSN - 0915-5635
DOI - 10.1111/j.1443-1661.1994.tb00692.x
Subject(s) - varices , medicine , esophageal varices , endoscopic ultrasonography , radiology , forceps , esophagus , lumen (anatomy) , endoscopy , portal hypertension , gastroenterology , surgery , cirrhosis
We examined esophageal varices using the new technique of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) that employed a high‐resolution 15/20 MHz ultrasonic probe. EUS employing the direct contact method, in which the forceps‐channel probe was in direct contact with the lumen, was used in patients with esophageal varices (58 cases) and in control patients without varices (32 cases). Findings were also compared with additional EUS employing the conventional balloon method which was performed on 21 of the patients with esophageal varices. The direct contact method visualized all the varices (endoscopic Grade 1 varices; 2.0 ± 0.7 mm in diameter (mean ± SD) and 11.9 ± 3.1 cm in length, endoscopic Grade 2 or 3 varices; 5.8 ± 3.2 mm in diameter and 16.3 ± 3.0 cm in length). In the 21 patients who underwent EUS by the two different methods, varices were displayed by both methods in 9 cases (7 endoscopic Grade 2 varices, and 2 Grade 3 varices). In the other 12 cases (8 endoscopic Grade 1 varices, and 4 Grade 2 varices) varices were displayed only by the direct contact method, and not by the balloon method. The direct contact method can be regarded as a useful technique for the evaluation of esophageal varices.