Background and study aims: To investigate the value of a transendoscopic miniature ultrasonic probe (USP) in the diagnosis of esophageal diseases.
Patients and methods: Endoscopic ultrasonography was performed by means of USP in 53 patients with esophageal diseases, including 16 with esophageal leiomyoma, 14 with esophageal carcinoma, seven with achalasia, seven with reflux esophagitis, six with esophageal polyps and three with esophageal varices.
Results: USP clearly showed all 16 esophageal leiomyomas, whereas, conventional EUS could not show five small leiomyomas less than 1.0 x 1.0 cm in size. The appearance of esophageal leiomyoma was that of a hypoechoic mass with a homogeneous inner echogram arising from the fourth hypoechoic layer. All 14 patients with esophageal carcinoma underwent full endosonographic T and N staging with USP. In two cases passage of the malignant stenosis proved to be impossible using conventional EUS. The accuracy of USP on T staging and N staging was 80% and 30%, respectively. In the seven achalasia patients USP demonstrated a seven-layer structure of the esophageal wall, with thickening of the third and fifth layers. In the seven patients with reflux esophagitis no difference was found for the ultrasonic image between that with and that without Barrett's epithelium. All of the esophageal polyps were showed by USP as hypoechoic homogeneous lesion with indistinct margins. After endoscopic sclerotherapy the ultrasonographic feature of esophageal varices changed from submucosal multiple anechoic areas to high echoic areas.
Conclusion: With refinement, the transendoscopic miniature ultrasonic probe will play an increasing role in the diagnosis of esophageal disease.