Endoscopic Ultrasound of the Stomach

High-frequency ultrasound improves image resolution, but as frequency increases, depth of penetration decreases. This significantly limits the range of frequencies available for transabdominal scanning in all but the slimmest of patients. Many of the difficulties encountered with transabdominal ultrasound including adverse patient body habitus and interference from bowel gas are overcome with endoscopic ultrasound. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), combining endoscopy and high-frequency ultrasound, provides a unique opportunity to visualize the bowel wall and adjacent structures. The ultrasound probe mounted on the tip of a flexible endoscope can be manipulated to within close contact of the area of interest without interference from intervening bowel gas, and high frequencies can be utilised to produce images of exceptional quality. Endoscopic ultrasound has been in use since the early 1980’s but has been slow to gain acceptance in certain countries.