Abstract
Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is the most sensitive imaging method for diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. However, it still has limits in the differentiation between pancreatic cancers and inflammatory tumor-like masses. A novel technology, contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS), has been developed recently. It can visualize both parenchymal perfusion and microvasculature in pancreas without Doppler-related artifacts. Therefore, it is superior to EUS and CT in detecting small pancreatic masses and differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses. CH-EUS could be used for adequate sampling of pancreatic tumors and may predict the pathological features of the pancreatic solid lesions but still cannot replace EUS-FNA now.
Highlights
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating diseases with long-term survival being still rare
CH-Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) could be used for adequate sampling of pancreatic tumors and may predict the pathological features of the pancreatic solid lesions but still cannot replace EUS-FNA
Ohno et al [14] reported that only contrast-enhanced EUS with Doppler mode (CE-EUS) revealed mural nodules in 3 (27.3%) of the 11 patients with malignant Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) treated with resection which were not detected by Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Summary
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating diseases with long-term survival being still rare. There is an urgent need to develop a method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer at an early curable stage. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is considered to be the most sensitive technology in detecting small pancreatic tumors [1, 2]. The evaluation of vascularity using ultrasound contrast may assist the differentiation of cancers from benign tumors. Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CH-EUS) is a novel technology which observes both parenchymal perfusion and microvasculature in the pancreas and has been reported to improve characterization of pancreatic cancers from other pancreatic diseases [3, 4]. We will describe the development of a new technology CH-EUS and will review the advantages and its value in clinical practice in pancreatic diseases [5]
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